They called us Veterans

 

 

I have never been to a Veteran’s Administration facility. Although all who have served are technically eligible, I never pursued visiting. First, it was inconvenient as the closest clinic was in Peoria and the closest hospital was in Danville IL. I had hated being drafted into the army and wanted nothing to do with the military.

 I did, however, signup for VA health benefits. I didn’t need them, but there was a concern about the VA cutbacks back in the 1990’s. VA cutbacks were targeting underutilized facilities like the hospital in Danville. Most of the maintenance staff were vets, and they knew I was the only administrator who had served. They asked me if I would sign up to help show the VA there was need in the area. I agreed.

 I arrived at the VFW in Bloomington with my DD214. This is the form that all military personnel are given upon discharge. You are told to guard it carefully as it is the only proof of service. I keep mine in a safe deposit box.

 After having my photo taken, I was given a red, white and blue picture id. I stuck it in a drawer figuring to never use it again. After all I didn’t need a VA loan, I had already exhausted all of my GI bill education benefits, and I had health insurance.

 I did take it to Lowes after I found out they give veterans a 10% discount. This is an unadvertised benefit that applies to every purchase all year round. After multiple uses, some of which were allowed, some not, I finally got a Lowes card that grants the discount at checkout.

 When applying for my last driver’s license renewal, the State of Illinois offered to add a veteran’s registration on the license, but I had to visit with a VA counselor. I had to take my DD214 to the meeting. He went through my benefits and offered to have a copy of my service records sent to me. I figured that was the end of my contact with the VA.

 Anyone who watches the real news, knows the Veteran's Administration has had some really bad press. Investigations show long waiting lists for veterans to get medical attention. Photos of deteriorating facilities, poor working conditions, and neglect for disabled patients have been all over the news. Several VA administrators have been fired, and there is constant turmoil. The politicians use it as scape goat for political gain, but never seem to fund the program as well as they fund the latest high tech weapon system. The VA after all is for the last few wars. Old sick injured men and women are just not creating jobs in the politician’s districts.

 It used to be that virtually every male became a veteran. This was because the military needed many men and a few women to carry out the mission to destroy ambitious dictators and keep others at bay. Large numbers were needed to fight aggression by countries supported by communist governments. Large numbers were needed to honor our commitments to countries that were led by people who asked for our help, while using us to help them stay in power. Large numbers were needed to hold on to territory. Large numbers of young military age into large numbers of old veterans.

 But this was the old military. The new military needed fewer people who are more highly trained. The new military uses high technology to destroy, but not occupy. You see, the military draft ended almost 50 years ago. This was the end of the citizen soldier.

 My 50^th high school reunion was “hosted” by those at their 25^th reunion. One of my classmates asked all who had served in the military to stand. Almost every male in my class stood, while no one from the 25^th reunion stood.

 So most veterans are over 70. Although in that age group, I didn’t need the VA health benefits. That is until Covid19.

 Covid 19 is deadly to those with the weakest immune systems. This group includes those over 65, the disabled, those with underlying health conditions. This is the precisely the situation for most veterans.

I am in San Antonio which prides itself as a “military city”. In addition to large numbers of active duty soldiers and air force personnel, it is home to many veterans. In fact everyone I know from Silver Sneakers is a vet, even the women. The VA facilities in San Antonio are extensive and include specialized units for those with the most severe war injuries.

Vaccinations are given on a priority basis to those most at risk. After medical professionals and nursing home personnel comes the 65 plus group. The VA was to receive vaccine for this group. They scheduled distribution for a Saturday. With so many in the area, they would not receive enough for those over 65. The first weekend was just for those over 75. The following Saturday was for those 70 and older.

With so many vets in town, the vaccine distribution is huge. So huge, that the phone lines used to get an appointment crashed in a few minutes. Vets simply could not get through. So the VA did something unusual. They told vets over 70 to just show up on a Saturday, and the VA would vaccinate everyone until they ran out of vaccine. I decided to take a chance and show up.

 I arrived 2 hours before the distribution was to begin. I planned to stand outside in the cold, but the VA staff had already opened the hospital when I arrived. I was directed down several hallways which were already full of waiting men and women. Most were standing, but several were in wheelchairs, electric and not, walkers and carrying canes. All had on masks. There were a few chairs placed 6 feet apart, but we were all much closer than that. I didn’t count, but I am sure I walked past at least 1000 people.

 The Audie Murphy VA Medical Center in San Antonio is state of the art. It is bright, roomy and well maintained. There was no sign of peeling paint, filth, or understaffing I had heard so much about. It made proud to know the VA had such wonderful facilities for our military veterans.

 I was amazed at the variety of military insignia on hats and jackets standing in the hallways. Most were proudly displaying their branch and era of service. Most were Vietnam era, but there were a few from the Korean War. All were waiting patiently.

I heard not one complaint.

Mostly they joked with each other. There was plenty of laughter. I heard several times the old army saying “Hurry up and wait” followed by a chuckle of familiarity. We regularly heard this when I was in.  Hurry up and get ready, then sit or stand.

 The VA personnel were amazing. The women and men directing us were all positive and engaging with the men and women in line. They were all working on a Saturday, and I am sure they had volunteered to do it. They brought chairs for those who needed them and handed out bottles of water. They never once referred to the men and women as patients, even though we were in a hospital. They called us “Veterans”.

 Although there were a few glitches for me, the experience was amazing. I had to leave the line when I got to the front because I wasn’t registered at the facility. That added over an hour to my wait, but I cannot complain. When I was finally registered, the staff member who was directing the vets, remembered me and moved me up to get my appointment. She told everyone in line I had been waiting through two other groups to get an appointment. After 5 hours I had my first dose and an appointment for the second dose. I am sure anyone who has caught this virus would have gladly waited to receive the vaccine.

 I cannot thank the VA staff enough. They made this long wait as pleasant as possible. I want to thank all the veterans who stood with me. It is you who have kept this country free. To the VA staff thanks for  who honoring our service.

 

---

 [RL1]

Mike Laleman US Army Hero

"I wanna be an airborne Ranger

I wanna live a life of danger.."

 I can still hear those words we sang as the drill sergeant called marching cadence in basic training.  Many of the drill sergeants wore the Ranger tab on their shoulder, but I didn't know much about the Rangers.  I knew they were held in high regard by people in the US Army. The phrase I heard often was "Rangers are tough SOB's". One of my uncles told me that the Rangers had stormed the cliffs overlooking Omaha beach to knock out the German machine guns and artillery.

Mike Laleman  US Army Ranger  This photo was several years ago, and he has been promoted since then. The tan beret and shoulder tab identify a US Army Ranger.

Mike Laleman (who we all call Michael) has always been in the outdoors. When younger he would often go fishing and hunting. A conversation with young Michael would include details on fishing lures, colors, and types of fish they caught. He bought every kind of fishing lure and hunting equipment. I still have some 50# test line (who catches fish that big?) he gave me on one of my birthdays.

 In high school he was on the school shooting team. He was an excellent shot and they put him in charge of transporting the guns. 

                                                Michael's first deer

He fished with me a number of times in my boat. I don't recall either of us catching any fish, thus no pictures. Bad fishing has almost always been my fault.

                                           Mike and his niece Taylor

Michael is an American hero. He fits my definition perfectly. A hero is the person who steps forward to face a difficult challenge. It is not that he is without fear. That is part of what the feels he has to do. The difference is that the takes on the challenge in spite of the fear.

After graduation from high school Michael enlisted in the US Army. This was after 9-11-2001. Michael enlisted in an infantry unit and eventually passed the difficult Ranger School. Less than 50% of those who began the school passed it. This was the school all of the Special Forces complete. Part of that training was 2-3 week"Survival School". He was dumped in a swamp at night without food and told to survive.

Rangers were also airborne. He regularly jumped out of airplanes. Upon completion he was assigned to a Ranger regiment. This assignment required additional difficult qualification in order to actively serve as a Ranger. I think this was when he became known as  "Mike".

  

The strenuous training did not end on assignment. Being qualified and assigned meant he had a standard of physical fitness to maintain. In also included training in additional skills. Rangers serve in all of the most difficult situations. Their rigorous training puts them in the lead, the "point of the spear".  

The motto "Rangers lead the way" appropriately describes the designation Ranger. They learn how to operate in jungles, deserts, and urban areas in tight scary places. They travel by Humvee, helicopter, and even modified Toyota pickups. 

They may use donkeys and horses in mountainous conditions. Sometimes they parachute in. They use land, water, and air to conduct their operations.

Mike is an expert marksman and has trained as a sniper. For work in urban settings he trained as a locksmith.

The Rangers draw the most dangerous assignments, often at night. Deployment has never been in a place anyone would refer to as “safe”. Mike and his brother, Bryan, wear the Combat Infantry Badge. You must serve in combat to receive this medal.  Mike has been deployed more often than most people in the military. I lost count after 6 combat tours but know he had more.

                                                        

 He currently serves in a leadership role in the US Army. He works at SOCOM, where special operations are planned. His ability to plan, accomplish and to lead have been recognized repeatedly. When you can lead in combat, you can lead anywhere.

Mike continues to fish and hunt when he can. His fishing experiences have gotten diverse and he is landing much bigger fish. He has been part of a special hunt for service members.

Mike continues to be part of a sky dive demonstration team. He serves  along with Rangers, other Airborne troupes and Green Berets. 

He is recently married to Cheryl. He still serves in the US Army.

Mike and Cheryl

He training and his deployments have taken a toll on his body. Like any highly trained athlete, he must condition constantly. In order to be ready to go into action as a Ranger he must stay in top physical condition and endure extreme physical hardships in training. The deployments and training had subjected him to injury. Surgeries to repair damage have become part of his life.  He does not receive the income of a professional athlete. His compensation includes the respect and confidence of those who deploy with him. Like any athlete at some point he will not be able to serve in the field.

 I ask you to think about the difficulty he has endured in service for his country. I ask you to thank him because he deserves to know that we care about his sacrifice. I ask you to thank Cheryl for wishing to become part of this difficult service.  American heroes. 

American Hero

My definition of a hero is the person who steps forward to face a difficult challenge. It is not that they are without fear. That is part of what they feel they have to do. The difference is that they take on the challenge in spite of the fear. Unfortunately many who want to be leaders, are a long way from being heroes.

I have been fishing for a long time with my fellow retired principals. Our stories go way back. If you are regular reader, you know that our equipment, our health, and sometimes our lives, were in danger for mistakes we have made.

Even though Don and Paul continue to agree to fish with me, they are not the only ones who have. From the very first time I bought my boat and as far back as the 1980’s, I have fished with some guys who are true American heroes. While looking through some old photos I came upon a photo of one of my nephews, Bryan Laleman, when he was much younger, fishing at my brother Ron's lake.

Bryan  and his younger brother Mike (who we all still call Michael) are  members of the US Army. 

Bryan was in the National Guard on 9-11-2001. He had served in the US Army for three years including a tour in the Middle East. While beginning college, he enlisted in a National Guard infantry unit. His college career was interrupted as he was called upon to secure property that may have been subject to further terrorist attack. 

He re-enlisted in another infantry unit and was later deployed to combat in that unit. He told me he was proud all of the members of his squad returned unharmed. A parent of one of those members told me how much his men appreciated Bryan as a leader.

 Upon his return, Bryan enlisted in a National Guard helicopter unit. He trained to become a Blackhawk helicopter pilot and Warrant Officer.

I can’t give much in the way of details about his service. I don’t really know all of the specifics. Bryan's parents feel the military might disapprove if I shared much of what I do know. Suffice it to say, he and his brother have seen plenty of service is war zones. Deployment has never been in a place anyone would refer to as “safe”. Both wear the Combat Infantry Badge, the blue Kentucky long rifle. You do not get that sitting behind a desk, as I did when I was in the US Army.

                                                      

Military families bear the daily fear of family members deployed. Both of my nephews are married, and Bryan has children. The stress has to be overwhelming, because there is not much that can be done, but worry and pray for the day they return home.

                                                  

                                                     Bryan and Pam

Bryan and Wesley

Bryan Pam Clara Wesley

                                                    Bryan at his Dad's pond

With Covid-19, rotations have changed. Fewer are being trained to take their place. Deployments are getting longer. The work they do is not conducive to social distancing so the added health risk is real.  

Some of the photos that follow are dated, but they are what I have. Some were recently shared by their parents. Bryan has received multiple promotions since these were taken. His promotions were not for just staying in the service. He had to respond to many extremely difficult challenges to move up in rank.

Each deployment includes great risk.  He serves today in Iraq. He is a leader in the truest sense of the word. 

Pray for Bryan and Mike and their families if praying is what you do. Thank them, perhaps not for “their service” as so many do. Thank them for their courage, their sacrifice, the stress in their lives, the hardship that comes from stepping forward when most chose not to serve. Give their families a kind word, spend time listening, and recognize that without families like them, we won’t have people who can be heroes for all of us.

I hope we can fish again soon. A special Happy 40th Birthday, Bryan. Stay safe and return soon.

I Miss the Apple

It’s July and the weather is hot. Big surprise! 

Lake fishing in July is pretty slow. The fish move to cooler, deeper water. You have to catch them near shore in the very early morning before the sun warms the surface.

Our solution has been to try something different in July. For many years that has been the Apple River in the northwest corner of Illinois.

The Apple flows from Wisconsin through the Driftless Area of Illinois and eventually to the Mississippi. The area, untouched by glaciers, is hilly, scenic, and exposes many limestone bluffs. It isn’t a great place to farm, but it is fun to see.

We found the Apple because Paul had read about it in a fishing magazine. That was over 20 years ago. The cool stream is home to small mouth bass. Smallies are found in other streams in Illinois, but the Apple is remote and not heavily fished.

I wrote in an earlier blog about our first trip there, which was in October. However, the Apple became our go to place for adventure in July. The hot weather wasn’t a problem when you are standing in a cool stream.

The river was low in July, so even the deep holes are not above our knees. Dressed in shorts and big hats, we could easily wade the Apple and avoid getting too hot in the sun. Equipment was minimal and we carried needed tools in our pockets or around our necks.

The trick was finding a way into the river while wearing shorts without walking through nettles and poison ivy. Robert opted to wear waders. The rest of us followed Robert and pushed down the weeds with our feet and fishing poles. Luckily we didn’t get too many scratches.

We would wade about a mile before we got out at the next bridge up the road. The wade upstream in the heat was difficult, but the stunning scenery was in the shade where we would stop and fish the deep near the bluffs. The hardest part was walking the mile back in the heat.

The fishing was relatively good for us. We got bites on Rooster tail spinners and other small lures. This worked pretty well for the first July trip.

Subsequent trips were mainly just Don and me or Paul on occasion. It was on trip with Don that I discovered the crawdad soft bait was the smallies’ favorite. Don found a deep hole just downstream from where we walked into the river. In that deep hole were hungry smallies. We wore out the few crawdad baits I had.  At the end of the day we tried to locate more, but there were none to be found.

After that trip, Don and I stocked up before we left. We had a great time catching fish, and didn’t have to wade very far to do it.

The Apple River trip takes a long drive. Even with longer days, it really takes an overnight stay in a hotel to make the trip worthwhile. The overnight also involves eating at restaurants and or bars.  

All of us are in our 70’s.  Covid 19 has put a damper on all that for this year. Maybe it will be better next July. Maybe. 

Paul Calls Them “Memories”

17 years ago next month, I bought my boat. I retired in July and made the purchase in August. I had looked for quite a while and was prepared to buy a new, but less expensive, boat. I was trying to avoid spending too much money and thought a quality boat, like my Lund, was too much money for me.

Fortunately a nearby person ran a classified ad in the newspaper ( remember them?) and I caught it early in the morning. I called and arranged a meeting, and bought it without negotiating the price. I did manage to convince him to let me have a 2 Hp motor as part of the deal. The 2 Hp could be used where the bigger 25 HP was banned (like Lake Evergreen). I later replaced it for a bigger (still legal) 9.9 Hp

The boat was three years old when I bought it, but had only been used two seasons. The seller had thought he would fish more and hadn’t. It had been used the first season by fishing guide Paul Center, who I knew. Paul is quite meticulous with his boats as they are always resold after one season.

Many consider the Lund brand to be the finest aluminum boat for the average fisherman.  They are extremely popular in Minnesota and Wisconsin and are renowned for  durability and stability in wind. Some manufacturers advertise their welded boats are the strongest. Lund says they use rivets, like aircraft manufacturers where failure would be catastrophic.

My boat is a beautiful dark green with grey trim. When I bought it, it looked brand new. I was able to find only one photo from that first year, and it wasn’t a close up. Paul and I were launching the boat at Clinton Lake.

I was able to enlarge the photo slightly around the decals to show the condition of the boat that first year. With Paul in the photo, you can see no scratches or dents around the Lund decals.

Compare that to this recent photo taken in my garage.

My boat has been on more trips than I can count. We took it to Tennessee, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Texas. We have fished virtually every major lake (except Michigan) in Illinois. I believe it would handle Lake Michigan, but haven’t made the trip.

One thing all of these trips have in common, is the marking of my boat with “memories”. We have hit docks, rocks, stumps, ramps, the  banks, and other boats. Every trip we hit tree branches and I have to remove branches and sticks from the deck. We follow the old adage "If you aren't hitting something or snagged, you aren't fishing in the right place" The Lund has handled them all, but she is showing the results.

This latest "smile" is from a hard hit on the dock on a windy day. It is pretty deep, but it didn't penetrate the hull.

Paul calls them memories. There are so many, I can’t count them. Unfortunately we are getting too old to remember them. I only included a few of the many. Repainting a 20 year old boat is not an option. She is looking kind of sad, but she is still strong.

What’s That Thing?

Every profession and form of recreation has tools that are specialized for that activity. Fishing is certainly like that. Equipment has evolved over the years to make fishing easier. When I started fishing it was with bamboo “cane” poles that my Dad purchased. We had about 5 ft. of line that was like kite string, a cork bobber, a hook on the end and an old nut from a bolt used as a weight. We fished in the drainage ditch near our farm in Geneseo for bullheads and carp. If you got a bite you yanked the fish out of the water.

You never see cane poles these days. Also rare today are the early baitcatcher reels and old fiberglass rods. Even earlier were rods made of steel. My brother, Steve, had such a rod with a baitcatcher reel. The early reels were easily snagged inside in what we call a “bird’s nest”. The usual solution was to take out a knife and cut off line until you reached the knot. I still bird nest my baitcaster reel.

I was fishing with Steve’s rod and reel in the old drainage ditch. I likely didn’t ask him if I could use it. I hooked a large carp, but couldn’t get the reel to work to bring it to the bank. So I improvised, put the steel rod over my shoulder and walked up the bank dragging the fish out of the water. The result was a rod with a 90 degree bend permanently formed.

In college, my roommate introduced me to spinning reels. Open faced spinning reels take a little bit of skill, so he suggested I try a spin cast reel, which has a push button. I purchased one and fished with it for several years. After we were married, Connie bought me an open faced Abu Garcia with a fiberglass Shakespeare rod. I wore that thing out.

I have acquired many fishing rods, reels, and fishing tools over the years. As I wrote before, I am a real sucker for anything that is supposed to help catch fish. Most trips to outdoor stores result in added equipment. Most things I buy get little use.

Some of the tools I actually use regularly are in the photo below. Removing a fish hook often takes long nosed pliers like the pair I purchased in Florida with my Step-Dad Al. The clippers cut line and have a little hook is for clearing bird nests , the file sharpens hooks and the puncher clears paint from the eyes of jig heads. The knife cuts my nightcrawlers in half.

I thought I had seen all the tools you could own. I didn’t own them all, but I could identify their purpose. Then Don showed up with this thing.

Like the guys on “This Old House” Paul and I tried to guess what it was. There was some discussion that it might have a medical purpose, even gynecological. Eventually he showed us what it does when he caught a fish.

So what do you think it is?

Goodbye Lovely June

I will miss you wonderful June. You are famous for June swoon love, for marriages, for graduations, Flag Day, D-Day and Father’s Day. You are the birth month of my first granddaughter and the marriage date of our daughter.

However your famous days are not why I love you. You are the best time of the year for fishing and I enjoy your time the most.  I never actually realized how much you meant to me, until my neighbor, Warren, said “June is the best month for fishing”. Warren was right.

You are not like the fickle March, April or May. They lure me out onto the the lake, which I have missed all winter, but  they keep the lakes cold and the fish down deep. You hit me with 20 mile winds, intermittent rain, and, most years,  hit me with a day like this.

I have fished in all months of the year. I have actually caught fish in most months as well, but June is the best. Most of our fishing trips have not been in June, and perhaps that is why we never caught much.

June brings mild weather with warm days and nights. The chilling overnight lows which keep water temperatures below 70 degrees fade away with May. June water temperatures are usually in the 70’s, and the fish are biting. The mosquitoes are not too bad, the wind is generally moving slowly, and the fish are biting.

July brings high temperatures and lake water in the 80’s.  July brings rapid growth of algae and bottom weeds.  July is hot and humid in the boat and even the shade is uncomfortable. The mosquitoes are biting and snagging weeds happens on every cast. The fish move down to cooler water and suspend off shore. They hide below the “thermocline” which is a mysterious layer of warm water above the cooler water. When they are suspended, they are reluctant to bite.

When fish do bite they move up to the shade and are usually only there in the early morning or late evening. This is also the mosquito’s prime hunting time. Getting up before the sun or staying out past dark are not much fun anymore. Most July’s I just throw the cover on the boat and let it sit.

The only month worse than July is August. They don’t call it “Dog Days” for nothing. September can bring productive fishing, but it is often spotty. Fish tend to stay put in September. October is supposed to be the best time for fishing as the fish load up on food for the winter. However you have fish in coves to stay out of the wind and end up  fighting downed leaves in every cove. I have never caught much in October except for the giant drum I caught in 2011.

This past June was especially productive. We caught bass, saugeye, crappies, bluegills, and white bass. Below are some of our successful June fishing this year and years past. I has been fun, but today the heat index will be near 100. Goodbye my friend. See you again next year.