Dr. Angel Pilato honors Vietnam vets Ralph Koozer, center, and Walter Want, right.
Most of the members of our club lived through the 1960’s and could relate to a trip down memory lane led by our speaker last week, Dr. Angelica “Angel” Pilato, a retired Air Force Lt. Colonel. During the Vietnam War, Angel made history as the first woman assigned to manage an Officer’s Club and the first to run one on a fighter pilot base in a war zone. And I’d say all of us were really moved at the end of her presentation when she acknowledged and honored the Vietnam veterans who were present: Walter Want and Ralph Koozer. “There were no parades, no ‘welcome homes’ when the Vietnam vets returned from the war,” she said. “It’s good to thank them now.”
Angel began by setting the backdrop for her story:
1960 John F. Kennedy elected President, the first Irish Catholic to win
1961 Peace Corps started
1963 Kennedy assassinated
1964 Passage of the Civil Rights Act
1965 Massive bombing of North Vietnam starts
1967 Troop strength reaches 500,000
In 1967, she was attending Michigan State, where it was snowing, and working on her masters. Long story short, she wanted to help and do more with her Food Management degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She ended up enlisting in the Air Force, hoping to be sent to someplace sunny for training. Instead, her first assignment was in Omaha, where it was–snowing!
She was transferred to Seville, Spain where her new commander declared, “No woman is going to run my Officer’s Club.” Luckily, a new commander came and rescued her from a keypunching job. Her next assignment was at the large Bitburg Air Base in Germany.
From there, she was promoted to Udorn Air Base in Thailand. She shared a number of stories, both humorous and sad, about her time there, including how the club ended up with the nickname “Angel’s Truck Stop.”
“Someone drove a truck up the stairs into the lobby of the club one night and it got stuck in the door!”
Dr. Angel Pilato.
She left the service in 1972. In the 1980’s, she started sharing her war stories at a dinner party, and she was encouraged to write a book. So she did. Her memoir, “Angel’s Truck Stop, A Woman’s Love, Laughter, and Loss during the Vietnam War,” highlights some of the challenges, conflicts and choices she confronted.
“What did I learn during my career?” she asked. “Persistence and grit. That it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission. That you don’t have to be shot at to suffer the wounds of war. To forgive yourself when you misstep. And that writing can heal your soul.
Did our citizens learn anything from the Vietnam War? That the warriors ARE distinguishable from the war.
Did the government learn anything?” She left that one with question marks.
Auggie Gonzales smiles as he receives the “Volunteer of the Year” award from the Chamber.
OFF TO GUATEMALA
Shortly after receiving the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce’s “Volunteer of the Year” award, Auggie Gonzales left last week for Guatemala to serve some more! He is heading up a delegation which includes dentists and dental hygiene students from both Pacific University and OHSU (as well as wife, Maureen, a physical therapist). If you haven’t checked out his blogsite yet, here is the link: https://newbergrotaryclub.wordpress.com.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Please join your fellow Rotarians this Friday, March 9, from 8 to 9 am at Premier Bank as we host the Chamber of Commerce Greeters event.
Applications for this summer’s RYLA camp are now open. RYLA, which stands for Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, is a leadership development program for young people ages 19 through 26. It will be held July 14 through 21. For more information, please contact Aaron Lewis or Om Sukheenai.
April 28…April 28….April 28…..you know what that means! Our annual auction is coming right up!
GUESTS
Local graphic designer Gail Watson, our newest “Friend of Rotary,” joined us last week.
ETC. ETC.
Special acknowledgement to Marge O’Connell, Judy Robinson and Paula Radich for getting club tee and polo shirts designed, ordered and delivered. They really look great!
Karen Jones reported on the “Dream It, Be It” event for high school girls held by the Soroptimists Club a week ago Saturday. Thirteen girls attended the career exploration seminar this year. Karen thanked our club for being a co-sponsor and donating $500.
Welcome back to Mike Caruso, who journeyed all the way to Beirut, Lebanon to attend the second Rotary Presidential Peace Conference. Mike traveled with Alan Bazzaz, from the Lake Oswego club, and the two came back with ideas for working with Rotary clubs in Lebanon on a number of projects and global grants related to clean water.
