PORT ORCHARD — Robert S. Timm was a vet-eran of World War II and the Korean War.

As a Navy sailor, he served in the Pacific from 1945-46. As

an Army soldier from 1948-56, he was stationed Fort Lewis, and in Alaska; Sasebo, Japan; and Busan, South Korea.

At some point, he settled in Kitsap and spent the rest of his

life here. Timm died at Retsil Veterans

Home on Dec. 19, 2014, at the age of 87. The Kitsap County Coroner’s office could locate no surviving relative, no next

of kin.But the old sailor and soldier

is not forgotten. His ashes will be escorted

to Tahoma National Cemetery

A visit to the Veterans Living History Museum in downtown Port Orchard

Armed Forces Day Parade May 163

also ...■ Opinion ■ Calendar ■ Resources

Ernie Pyle’s final column from the front6

Honoring those who servedIN THIS EDITION

By LESLIE KELLYlkelly@soundpublishing.com

Just about 10 a.m. every morning, Dale Nitz can be seen opening the door of his

museum and placing a few military artifacts on the sidewalk near the entrance.

He then places a giant, 19-foot-long flag between two poles out-side the museum.

Recently, he has been placing a storyboard near the front window, dedicated to his border collie Waya, who recently passed.

The Veterans Living History Museum — at 825 Bay St. in down-town Port Orchard —- is his life now that she’s gone.

And the museum, which recently was in the news because of a controversy about whether he could display his large flag, is his “home away from home.”

“This is not about me,” he said of the museum. “This is for them —- the veterans. I do it for them.”

Nitz, a retired propane delivery driver and Coast Guard veteran, said he bought his first piece of military memorabilia in 2001. He intended to resell the cadet gray parade uniform he had purchased on the Internet auction store eBay, but the uniform didn’t receive a single bid.

“I didn’t get one bid for it,” he said. “I thought, ‘Something is wrong here.’ ”

Nitz slowly learned more about the uniform and the man who wore it. He discovered the gray helmet, trousers, sword and belt were worn by World War II Army Col. J.W. Lockett, who died in

1990. He learned the colonel spent time in a POW camp in Schubin, Poland. He uncovered more about the man’s family history, a trip to China and his experience in the prison camp.

Along with information about the soldier from the Greatest Generation, Nitz also acquired

more of the colonel’s belongings. Before long, Nitz had Lockett’s dress blue uniform, pictures from his graduation at the United States Military Academy at West Point and even a history of his uncle J. Lockett, who was also a colonel.

Nitz took his collection to the West Sound Military Vehicle

Preservation Club. He was astounded at the reception the col-lection received.

“They talked me into showing it,” he said. “It snowballed from there.”

As Nitz’s collection of military memorabilia dating from the

See MUSEUM, Page 2

See UNFORGOTTEN, Page 3

Ashes of veteran of two wars will be escorted to Tahoma

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KitsapVeteransLife.com May 2015

Published monthly by Sound Publishing Co. | Updated regularly online on KitsapVeteransLife.com

Dale Nitz opens the Veterans Living History Museum in downtown Port Orchard. “This is not about me,” he said of the museum. “This is for them —- the veterans. I do it for them.”

Leslie Kelly / Veterans Life

2 I VETERANS LIFE | MAY 2015 MAY, @

Civil War through present day grew, so did connec-tions among the things he amassed. Nitz discovered J.W. Lockett was in the same prison camp as anoth-er man — Medal of Honor recipient Jimmie Kanaya — that Nitz had compiled a collection around.

The more he com-piled and the more he researched, the more con-nections he discovered.

“It’s kind of cool and bizarre,” Nitz said. “It’s almost like I’m led to these things.”

After a showing at the Port of Bremerton, Port Commissioner Larry Stokes encouraged Nitz to open a permanent space to house his collection. Stokes thought the displays and the history could draw an audience. It was shortly after Stokes’ recommenda-tion that Nitz found the vacant spot downtown.

Today, he mans the museum almost daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“I use to just be here Wednesdays to Sundays,” he said. “But without Waya, I get lonely at home, so I’m pretty much coming down here every day.”

Nitz would be the first to say that artifacts are just artifacts. But if he can discover the story behind them, then he’s got some-thing.

“A tank is a tank is a tank,” Nitz said. “But if that was the tank Audie Murphy stood on and got his Medal of Honor, now it’s not just a tank. It’s something special.”

Expertly displayed, Nitz now has more memorabilia pieces than he can count, he said. Tuskegee Airman flight jackets are displayed on mannequins. Pictures of classic movie starlets on USO tours dot the walls. A classic charm bracelet he found at a garage sale

hangs on a display.He has a photograph

taken on the USS Missouri at the time that the Japanese surrendered, signifying the end of World War II.

“It has the signature of Admiral Nimitz,” he said. “And it’s taken from an angle that I haven’t seen anywhere else.”

If he’s asked what his most precious piece is, he answers quickly.

“A duplicate Medal of Honor given to me from Medal of Honor recipient John ‘Bud’ Hawk,” he said.

He and Bud, who passed away in November 2013, were friends, and Nitz said it took more than a year for the government to approve a duplicate medal for him to have at his museum.

“I think they took their time and made sure that I was for real,” he said.

As visitors come in, he tells them about items they ask about. When it comes to Bud’s medal, he talks about his friend.

“The military will tell you not to wear the real medal, only a replica,” Nitz said. “Not Bud. He was so proud of his Medal of Honor, he wore the real thing every day.”

He’s also quick to cor-rect those who say Bud Hawk “won” the Medal.

“Remember, you don’t win a Medal of Honor,” he said. “It’s not a contest.”

Throughout the year, Nitz switches out displays to accommodate his ever-increasing collection. He says he doesn’t really know how many items he has — “Haven’t got a clue,” he joked — but there are too many to be in the small museum, so some are kept in storage.

The museum is a col-lection of items he’s purchased and items that

veterans and their families have donated. All costs of operating the museum are paid out of his pocket, and admission is a free-will donation.

“There’s no profit here, but I’m not a nonprofit legally,” he said. “To do that, I would have to have a board of directors and they would be in control. There would be a chance I could lose all this to a corporation and I don’t want to put my collection at risk.”

World War II veterans still donate items, but more commonly, it’s Vietnam-era vets offering him their memorabilia.

Among the Vietnam War collection is a Janis Joplin concert poster from Fillmore East on March 8, 1968.

“A guy just walked in off the street and offered to sell it to me,” he said. “I paid a pretty price, but I wanted it because it was part of the Vietnam era.”

Next to it sits a photo of Jane Fonda, who was an outspoken anti-war critic during Vietnam.

“The vets like to give it ‘the one-finger salute,’ ” he said.

His busiest times are the summer months when tourists and visitors are in the area. He does, however, have some locals who like to wander down and look around and gab with him. From time to time, sailors from the USS Nimitz vol-unteer time to work in the museum.

“There’s a lot of neat things in here,” he said. “But it’s more about the stories. It’s not about the history of war and death. It’s about the men and women who served. Unfortunately, sometimes those things go together.”

INFO: Veterans Living History Museum, 825 Bay St., downtown Port Orchard. Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Call: 253-318-4101.

MuseumContinued from page 1

PHOTOS— Page 10

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MAY 2015 | VETERANS LIFE I 3

BREMERTON — The 67th annual Armed Forces Day Parade is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 16 in downtown Bremerton.

Bremerton’s parade is reportedly the largest and longest-running Armed Forces Day Parade in the nation. This event includes a Heroes’ Barbecue, with a free hot dog, chips and soda meal to all active-duty, reserve, retired and veteran personnel.

The parade’s annual atten-dance is 25,000 - 30,000 peo-ple from all over Western Washington. Entries have come from as far away as Oregon and Spokane.

The parade includes all military branches, police and firefighters, pageant queens, commercial busi-nesses, car clubs and more.

The number of high

school and junior high/middle School marching units has grown every year.

There’s still time to enter the parade. Commercial entries have an entry fee of $150; non-profit organiza-tions have an entry fee of $25. The parade route is the same as last year.

Entry forms are avail-able online at business.bremertonchamber.org/events/details/67th-af f-booths-9565. Entries can be mailed to Bremerton Chamber of Commerce, 286 4th St., Bremerton, WA 98337; emailed to staff@bremertonchamber.org; or faxed to 360-479-1033.

Questions? Call 360-479-3579.

Spaces for parade booths on 5th Street are available for $160. Booth spaces are 10 by 10. Booths should be

fully set up by 8 a.m. on the day of the parade

Armed Forces Day is cel-ebrated nationwide on the third Saturday in May. It falls near the end of Armed Forces Week, which begins on the second Saturday of May and ends on the third Sunday of May.

First observed on May 20, 1950, the day was creat-ed on Aug. 31, 1949 to honor Americans serving in the five U.S. military branches following the consolidation of the military services in the U.S. Department of Defense. The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated with parades, open houses, receptions and air shows.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy established Armed Forces Day as an official holiday.

for burial on May 23 in The Unforgotten, Run to Tahoma VI. He will be the 49th veteran escorted to Tahoma for internment since the run’s inception.

The day will begin with a Celebration of Life Ceremony at the outdoor plaza at the Kitsap County

Administration Building, 619 Division St., Port Orchard. A documentary about the Run to Tahoma will be shown at 9:15 a.m., followed by the Celebration of Life. Then, the funeral cortege — under the aus-pices of Combat Veterans International — will pro-ceed from Port Orchard to Tahoma where the Timm’s remains will be interred with military honors.

The Unforgotten, Run to Tahoma VI is open to the public. It is sponsored by the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners, Kitsap County Coroner’s Office, Kitsap County Veterans Advisory Board, Combat Veterans International, Tahoma National Cemetery, Elite Motor Escort, Inc., and U.S. Navy IMF Bangor.

UnforgottenContinued from page 1

Armed Forces Day Parade May 16 in downtown Bremerton

Crew members from the USS John C. Stennis participate in the 2014 Armed Forces Day Parade. File photo

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By JACQUE THORNTONFOR VETERANS LIFE

W hile prowling through a bottom drawer seldom opened, I found forgot-

ten memorabilia of my teens. It’s really odd how things not thought of in years suddenly pop up. It hap-pened to me a week ago and I’m still in awe over this life-time rev-elation. It started with a small, yel-

lowed pack of love letters from World War II, buried under old newspapers of the 1940s.

In 1943, while still in high school, I was seeing a 19-year-old Navy fellow. I met this hand-some, dark-haired, blue-eyed boy through friends. My father was in the South Pacific, also Navy, and that is how our conversations started. After a few get-togethers, I invited him home for dinner. Mom

really liked him and, as long as we were with friends, approved of my seeing him. Our dates, if you could call them that, were movies, roller skating, or just sitting on the porch visiting.

Tom was sent to California for training in some type of radioman program. Thus, the letters every week proclaim his crush on me. Tom knew eventually he would be sent to sea and the fellows all wanted a girl back home to write to.

After training, Tom came back to Seattle and we kept the friend-ship going. He came from a very devout Catholic family and they became worried about him becoming attached to a Protestant girl. He was pressured into vowing not to see me again. I was not a Catholic but was attending con-vent high school. I didn’t like pub-lic school where I had been trans-ferred to when the family moved. Of course, I never heard from him again. The last I ever did hear was that he went to sea on a ship that was sunk in the South Pacific.

I had been looking for informa-tion on my father’s Navy Silver Star from Korea when I found the letters. Dad had been in both wars. For the curiosity of it, I put Tom’s name in the Internet research since he was Navy too. What a shock finding his obit and picture of him older! He had sur-vived the war and all these years I

4 | V E T E R A N S L I F E | M A Y 2 0 1 5

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Honor Flight Network recognizes American veterans for their sacri� ce and service by � ying them to Washing-ton, D.C. so they can visit and re� ect at the nation’s

war memorials — memorials built in their honor and in honor of those with whom they served. Every veteran � ies for free.

Top priority is given to World War II and terminally ill veter-ans from all wars. The Honor Flight Network has expanded its services to include Korean War and Vietnam War veterans.

If you know of someone who is a veteran of World War II, Korea or Vietnam, or a veteran with a terminal illness, go to www.honor� ight.org for an application and send it in. West-ern Washington veterans � y out of Seattle-Tacoma Interna-tional Airport. Contact Jim and Renee Peavey, 253-303-1130; or Denise Rouleau, 253-303-1130, for more information.

According to the Honor Flight Network, the goal for 2015 is to � y at least 25,000 veterans to Washington, D.C.

There’s a sense of urgency to the Honor Flight Network’s work. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans A� airs, an estimated 640 World War II veterans die each day. Getting to see the nation’s military memorials is signi� cant, because it reminds veterans of the vital importance of their service. Visiting the memorials enables veterans to re� ect on their service in a unique way; to honor fellow veterans with whom they served; and to know that their service is appreciated and not forgotten. It also presents opportunities for Ameri-cans to interact with veterans of our nation’s wars.

The Honor Flight Network was founded by Earl Morse, a retired Air Force captain. From the organization’s inception in 2006 through 2012, Honor Flight Network transported more than 98,500 veterans to Washington, D.C. to see their memo-rial. The program presently has 127 hubs in 41 states.

According to the Honor Flight Network website, “Due to the senior age of our heroes, and the prediction that we are losing approximately 800 of them daily, we are committed to do all within our power to make their dream a reality.”

Here’s how you can help.1. Nominate a veteran for an Honor Flight. 2. Make a gift to Honor Flight Network. All donations to the

nonpro� t, 501(c)(3) organization are tax deductible. (You can view the organization’s audited � nancial statements at www.honor� ight.org/� nancials.)

3. Volunteer. You can welcome Honor Flight veterans on their � ight to or from Washington, D.C.; escort and assist them on their � ights and visits to Washington, D.C.; answer o� ce phones and enter application info into the data sys-tem; mail requested material and purchased merchandise; and contact veterans and guardians to make arrangements based on projected � ight schedules.

We salute the Honor Flight Network for its work in provid-ing our veterans with honor and closure. And we salute the donors and volunteers who make this e� ort possible.

Honor Flight now includes Vietnam vets

MY VIEWWorld War II memories found lead to happy ending

See THORNTON, Page 5

MAY 2015 | VETERANS LIFE I 5

thought he was dead. It told of his wife who passed on earlier, 10 children and the business he had built. One couldn’t possibly imag-ine the thrill I got from reading this item. It was like a ghost from the past, almost like an old movie with a strange ending.

Don would have gotten quite a kick out this whole event. I can hear him say, “Yeah, but I’m the lucky one; I got you!” Yes, Luv, and so you did!

There was also one letter from dad in 1943 answer-ing mine telling about my new friend, Tom. He gave

me stern advice about not getting too involved at my age. And too, among old cards in an album from that era, I found a type-printed Christmas card, with a picture of the USS Hornet aircraft carrier. It was sadly sunk on Oct. 27, 1942 in the Santa Cruz Islands, South Pacific. Inside the paper in gold: “Seasons Greetings from the Officers and Men of the USS Hornet.”

— Jacque Thornton is a columnist for the Kingston Community News, a Sound Publishing newspaper.

Right, the USS Hornet (CV-8) during the battle of

the Santa Cruz Islands.

U.S. Navy

While the job market has been gaining strength

in recent months, there’s one group of Americans who are still struggling to find work: veterans. According to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemploy-ment among post-9/11 veterans was 6.5 percent in March — a full point higher than the population at large.

As a veteran myself, it’s disheartening to see so many former service mem-bers struggle in their tran-sition to civilian life. The problem is especially trou-bling given that these men and women are uniquely qualified to provide the kinds of skilled labor our economy sorely needs.

In particular, the short-age of Americans with training in science, technol-

ogy, engineering and math has left many U.S. employ-ers unable to find qualified workers.

In fact, according to the labor analytics firm Burning Glass, there are currently 2.5 entry-level job postings for every STEM-educated American with a four-year degree. And, as a recent report by the Brookings Institution shows, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) job vacancies take twice as long to fill as non-STEM openings.

These jobs aren't just more plentiful than posi-tions in other fields; they are also more lucrative. The median wage for STEM employees in 2013

was $76,000 a year, com-pared to roughly $35,000 for American workers as a whole.

The demand for employ-ees with technical training, meanwhile, isn't likely to subside anytime soon. Indeed, the number of STEM jobs is expected to increase 55 percent faster than the number of non-STEM positions over the next 10 years, according to BLS data.

Closing the so-called “skills gap” is essential to America's economic success in the 21st cen-tury. In order to meet this challenge, a number of prominent businesses, educational institutions and nonprofits have launched

efforts to train the next generation of skilled work-ers. To this end, one of the most promising ways forward involves educating our veterans.

Why veterans? For one, military service leaves many men and women par-ticularly well-prepared for careers in science, technol-ogy and engineering fields.

What’s more, some of the fastest-growing STEM fields — particularly those related to cyber and infor-mation security — are areas where former service members have much to contribute. According to a recent BLS report, jobs for information security profes-sionals will grow 37 percent by 2022 — faster than any

other STEM positions.Despite being well-suited

for such jobs, America’s young veterans consistently suffer higher-than-average rates of unemployment. This disparity represents an enormous waste of much-needed talent. But worse, it is an injustice against the brave men and women who have sacrificed for the security of our nation.

Fortunately, there is much we can do, as recent efforts by my own compa-ny, Raytheon, make clear. Through partnerships with organizations like Student Veterans of America and the Wounded Warrior Project, our company has provided countless veter-

ans with the scholarships, training, and mentorship they need to translate mili-tary experience into a suc-cessful careers.

As these types of pro-grams illustrate, our young veterans can thrive in high-demand STEM profes-sions. What’s needed now is an aggressive, national effort to help America’s for-mer service members put their abilities to work in the STEM fields.

By preparing today’s ex-service members for careers in STEM, we can offer veterans the oppor-tunities they deserve while building the skilled workforce the 21st-century economy demands. Such an initiative would not only address a serious economic need, but a moral one as well.

— Thomas A. Kennedy, Ph.D., is chairman and CEO at Raytheon. He served in the Air Force from 1977-83, attaining the rank of captain.

To build an army of STEM workers, look to veteransBy THOMAS A. KENNEDY

Guest columnist“Despite being well-suited for such jobs, America’s young veterans consistently suffer higher-than-average rates of unemployment. This disparity represents an enormous waste of much-needed talent. But worse, it is an injustice against the brave men and women who have sacrificed for the security of our nation. Fortunately, there is much we can do.”

ThorntonContinued from page 4

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The son of tenant farming parents in west-central Indiana, Ernie Pyle became history’s greatest war correspondent.

When Pyle was killed by a Japanese bullet on the Pacific island of Ie Shima in 1945, his columns were being delivered to more than 14 million homes, according to his New York

Times obituary.During the war, Pyle

wrote about the hard-ships and bravery of the common soldier. His description of the G.I.’s life was more important to families on the home front than battlefront tactics of Gens. Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur or George Patton.

Prior to the United States’ entry into World War II, Pyle traveled to England and wrote about the Nazi’s continual bombing of London. His columns helped move the mood of America from isolationism to sympathy for the stubborn refusal of Great Britain to succumb to the will of Adolf Hitler.

The Pulitzer Prize win-ning journalist’s legacy rests in his words and the impact they had on Americans before and dur-ing a war that threatened to take the world behind a curtain of fascism. His columns open a window to the hardships endured by the common U.S. sol-dier during World War II, and serve today to honor what has been called “The Greatest Generation.”

About the Ernie Pyle World War II Museum The Ernie Pyle World

War II Museum features

the famous journalist’s birthplace and a museum dedicated to Pyle’s life and writings as a war cor-respondent. It is owned by the Friends of Ernie Pyle.

To learn more about the

Ernie Pyle World War II Museum located in Dana, Indiana, or make a dona-tion to assist the efforts of the Friends of Ernie Pyle to honor him, go to www.erniepyle.org.

Editor’s note: April 18 was the 70th anniversary of the death of famous World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle. He was killed by a machine-gunner on Ie Shima in the Pacific Ocean.

The Ernie Pyle World War II Museum in Dana, Indiana, and Scripps Howard Foundation offer this reprint of the last col-umn written by Pyle. The uncompleted work was found in the shirt pocket on his body on that date in 1945. Ironically, the subject matter was the anticipated end of hostilities in Europe, or V-E Day, which actually occurred on May 8, 1945.

Pyle’s column is a reminder to all of the ulti-mate sacrifice made by so many Americans to main-tain the freedoms we enjoy.

By ERNIE PYLE

A nd so it is over. The catastrophe on one side of the world

has run its course. The day that it had so long seemed would never come has

come at last. I suppose our emotions

here in the Pacific are the same as they were among Allies all over the world. First, a shouting of the good news with such joyous surprise that you would think the shouter himself had brought it about. Then an unspoken sense of gigantic relief — and then a hope that the collapse in Europe would hasten the end in the Pacific.

It has been seven months since I heard my last shot in the European War. Now I am as far away from it as it is possible to get on this globe.

This is written on a little ship lying off the coast of the Island of Okinawa, just south of Japan, on the other side of the world from Ardennes.

But my heart is still in Europe, and that’s why I am writing this column.

It is to the boys who were my friends for so long. My one regret of the

war is that I was not with them when it ended.

For the companionship of two-and-a-half years of death and misery is a spouse that tolerates no divorce. Such companion-

ship finally becomes a part of one’s soul, and it cannot be obliterated.

True, I am with American boys in the other war not yet ended, but I am old-fashioned and my senti-

ment runs to old things.To me, the European

War is old and the Pacific War is new.

Last summer, I wrote that I hoped the end of the war could be a gigantic relief, but not an elation. In the joyousness of high spirits, it is so easy for us to forget the dead. Those who are gone would not wish themselves to be a millstone of gloom around our necks.

But there are so many of the living who have had burned into their brains forever the unnatural sight of cold, dead men scat-tered over the hillsides and in the ditches along the high rows of hedge throughout the world.

Dead men by mass pro-duction — in one country after another — month after month and year after year. Dead men in winter and dead men in summer.

Dead men in such famil-iar promiscuity that they become monotonous.

Dead men in such mon-strous infinity that you come almost to hate them.

Those are the things that you at home need not even try to understand. To you at home, they are columns of figures, or he is

a near one who went away and just didn’t come back. You didn’t see him lying so grotesque and pasty beside the gravel road in France.

We saw him, saw him by the multiple thousands. That’s the difference.

We hope above all things that Japan won’t make the same stubborn mistake that Germany did. You must credit Germany for her courage in adversity, but you can doubt her good, common sense in fighting blindly on long after there was any doubt whatsoever about the out-come.

6 I VETERANS LIFE | MAY 2015 MAY, @

‘Let the World War II victory in Europe be a lesson’Famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle’s last column

Ernie Pyle, World War II battlefield correspondent.Ernie Pyle World War II Museum

Ernie Pyle Ernie Pyle World War II Museum

“Last summer, I wrote that I hoped the end of the war could be a gigantic relief, but not an elation. In the joyousness of high spirits, it is so easy to forget the dead.”

— Ernie Pyle

The farmboy who became a Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent

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Above, a display becomes a message

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By MARGO MYERSFor Veterans Life

Samantha Powers is passionate about two things: teaching and

military veterans, although not necessarily in that order.

Powers, a prior active duty U.S. Air Force officer, combines her love of both in her new role as project director and trainer for the Veterans Training Support Center of the Center for Learning Connections at Edmonds Community College.

“We focus on providers for veterans services,” said Powers. “We put on work-shops for clinicians and others who help military veterans in our state. This role fits right in line with everything I’m passionate about.”

Powers leads workshops on a number of various topics related to veterans, from higher education to post-traumatic stress disor-der to jobs and benefits.

Powers herself is a mili-tary veteran who served as part of USAF Special Operations as an Aircraft Maintenance officer on the C-130 Gunship Spectre. Growing up active in

sports, she decided to join the military when she looked for a career that allowed her to “exercise every day.”

With her father in the Air Force, Powers said it was “natural” to enroll at Virginia Tech as part of the Air Force ROTC. When she graduated in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in military history, she received her commission and went right to Hurlburt Air Field in Florida, where the C-130s are based.

Powers is a combat vet-eran who served in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq, so she knows firsthand some of the issues facing current military veterans. When asked about her combat experience, she revealed that no one has ever asked her about it.

Power responded with a quote from the movie, “Black Hawk Down,” and the character Hoot, played by actor Eric Bana.

“When I go home people will ask me, ‘Hey Hoot, why do you do it man? What are you some kind of war junkie?’ You know what I’ll say? I won’t say

a word. Why? They won’t understand. They won’t understand why we do it. They won’t understand that it’s about the man next to you, and that’s it. That’s all it is.”

Powers went on to obtain her master’s degree in international relations from the University of Oklahoma, and a Ph.D. in educational leader-ship from Old Dominion University, working post-military in higher educa-tion in facilities/physical plant operations as an administrative manager and in continuing educa-tion as a director.

In addition to being a trainer, she serves as an adjunct faculty member for Brandman University, primarily on the Bangor campus, teaching students at both the bachelor’s and master’s levels in organiza-tional leadership.

“All of these adult learn-ers bring incredible exper-tise to class, and I enjoy teaching activities that you can’t do at home, and that need other people,” Powers said.

She shared an exercise as an example, in which students had to get from one side of the room to the

other, stepping in squares, teamed with other students as a bonding experience to demonstrate team building.

Teaching classes that combining online and time in the classroom, is what Powers has been doing for some time. But she also loves to teach online courses for Brandman.

“I love teaching,” she said. “It’s probably one of

the best employment expe-riences I’ve had. Jennifer Perryman (Brandman’s Bangor campus director) is very supportive, and every-one has been just great.”

Powers noticed a big difference between stu-dents straight out of high school, and many of the adult learners served by Brandman.

“It’s night and day,” Powers said. “Sometimes the junior-level students are there to fill a require-ment, while the adult students are there to learn and really improve them-

selves. They take what they learn and apply it on the job immediately.”

Powers thrives on help-ing others learn, whether it’s leading as many as 20 workshops this year through the Veterans Training Support Center, or teaching students at Brandman.

“It’s my hope that, in the future, I can become a full-time professor,” she said.

For now, teaching and serving veterans offers Powers the best of both worlds.

LAKEWOOD — Dale Peinecke, commis-sioner of the Washington Employment Security Department, and Lourdes “Alfie” Alvarado Ramos, director of the state Department of Veterans Affairs, signed documents on March 25 demonstrat-ing their agencies’ support for hiring veterans and members of the National Guard and Reserve.

“The men and women who have served in our military make valuable contributions to our state’s workforce,” Peinecke said. “At the Washington Employment Security Department, we are proud to employ men and women with military experience. They bring professional-ism, leadership, a strong work ethic and a com-mitment to service. I’m also proud of the work of our WorkSource veterans teams who help connect employers with thousands of skilled veterans every year.”

Peinecke and Alvarado signed the statements of support at WorkSource Lakewood, where they were joined by members of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and the Reserve, or ESGR, a Department of Defense agency that promotes cooperation and understanding between civilian employers and their National Guard and

Reserve employees.“Your Washington State

Department of Veterans Affairs is working hard to help veterans and their families connect to the No. 1 benefit our state can provide: a job,” Alvarado said. “Our role in that is to connect veterans to supportive services, some-times including financial assistance, that can remove barriers and get veterans

hired. We’ll also soon be unveiling an initiative ask-ing local business owners to commit to hiring veter-ans.”

In that iniotiative, employers will be asked to “recognize, honor and enforce” the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act and encourage opportuni-ties to hire guardsmen, reservists and veterans.

MAY 2015 | VETERANS LIFE I 11

State agency directors encourage hiring veterans

PROFILE

Powers takes on new role to help veterans

Samantha Powers swears in another Air Force member as he re-enlisted at Hurlburt Air Field in Florida in 2006. They are standing in front of a C-130. Submitted photo

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By THOM STODDERTVeterans Voice

The VA will give service-members, veterans and eli-gible surviving spouses a chance to not only become homeowners, they will provide a home loan guar-antee benefit and other housing-related programs to help them, build, repair, retain or adapt a home for your own personal occu-pancy.

VA Home Loans are provided by private lend-ers, such as banks and mortgage companies. VA guarantees a portion of the loan, enabling the lender to provide you with more favorable terms.

The VA also has a Cash-Out Refinance Loan, for homeowners who want to take cash from their home

equity to take care of con-cerns like paying off debt, funding school or making home improvements. The Cash-Out Refinance Loan can also be used to refi-nance a non-VA loan into a VA loan. VA will guarantee loans up to 100 percent of the value of your home. All of this comes with many advantages for the mort-gage seller and the home buyer.

The lender has the assurance that they should not lose any money on the loan. At this time when so many homes are being repossessed by banks, this is great protection. No surprise so-called VA home loan specialist/experts are everywhere.

The borrower gets a more competitive interest rate on the loan and does not have to pay for addi-tional insurance or fees. For example, mortgage insurance is a common

requirement of mortgage agencies, but not for VA backed mortgage loans. This is a monthly saving for the borrower.

How many service mem-bers transitioning back to civilian life have enough saved for a down payment on a house? Most often, there is no need for any down payment to be made on the mortgage. The VA covers that issue.

Where does a vet-eran/service member start? Find a good real-estate agent that will look out for your interests. That agent can guide you through the pitfalls and advantages at each step

during the sale, making up for your ignorance on a complex procedure.

The next step: obtain a “Certificate of Eligibility” or “COE.” This can be done online at the VA’s website for e-Benefits or more commonly through the lending agency you are working with.

At some point, the ser-vice member or veteran will have to decide which mortgage company to go with. They may be found in almost every strip mall, newspaper and web page advertising. After talking to the mortgage specialist at Home Street Bank, an institution that has several banks in the Puget Sound region, it is my opinion agencies like them are the best sources for a mort-gage.

First, they are local, located near their custom-

ers and offer face-to-face contact during the entire process and afterwards. This allows the bank and the borrower to build a relationship of mutual trust during the life of the mortgage. Further, they know the environment of the purchased property. In other words, they know the local laws, the geol-ogy, the weather and other such factors affecting the property being purchased, and they can provide you important individualized service. In the end, they are your neighbor.

On the other hand, working with a mortgage company that was found on the Internet, a mailing or the TV can be a good thing because they may be very experienced in handling the complexities of a VA Home Loan. However, how can you be assured that they are a reputable com-pany when they are based in another state? How easy would it be to resolve a problem over the phone or Internet? Lastly, would they be the loan manager throughout the life of the

mortgage or loan, or will they sell the mortgage to another institution and you must send the check each time to a different location?

As I was writing this article, another letter came from the “Olympia Processing Center.” The inside pictured a logo very similar to the VA’s with “We Honor Veterans” writ-ten next to it. The letter was from the “Washington Veterans Administration Program,” with a message addressed to me that they wanted me to call 1-800-218-2013 — now! If not, they will make two more attempts by mail or phone to contact me — because “they believe I am not receiving the government benefits I am entitled to.”

Then, in small print at the bottom, “This offer is being made by Majestic Home Loan, … they are not affiliated with any gov-ernment agency.”

When I called, it was to a marketing telephone cen-ter, not their office as indi-cated. When I finally spoke with an actual employee, he would not explain why their mail fliers looked so much like the VA’s. Can I really trust these people?

For more informa-tion, visit www.benefits.va.gov/HOMELOANS/purchaseco, or call the VA at 1880-827-1000. Both of these are very helpful and informative.

Hope this has been helpful. Let me know what interests you: stoddert work@gmail.com

12 I VETERANS LIFE | MAY 2015 MAY, @

What you should know about VA home loans

PORT ORCHARD — Resources for veterans in Kitsap County.American Legion Post 109

SilverdaleAddress: 10710 Silverdale

Way, Silverdale. Meets on the third

Monday of the month, 7 p.m., at All Star Lanes & Casino.

Contact: Email alpost 109cmdr@gmail.com, or visit on Facebook.

American Legion Post 149Bremerton

Address: 4922 Kitsap Way, Bremerton. 360-373-8983.

Online: www.legion 149wa.org

American Legion Post 172Bainbridge Island

Address: 7880 NE Bucklin Hill Road, Bainbridge Island. 206-842-5000.

Meets first and third Friday of the month, 7:30 p.m.

Online: www.bainbridge islandpost172.org.

American Legion Post 200Belfair

Meets on the first Thursday of the month at 6 p.m.

Contact: Tom Welch, email xtw@aol.com.

American Legion Post 245 Veterans Service Office

PoulsboAddress: 19068 Jensen

Way, Suite 3A, downtown Poulsbo. 360-779-5456.

Open every Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Disabled American Veterans

2315 Burwell St., Bremerton. 360-373-2397.

4475 Birch Ave W., Port Orchard.

Chapter meetings: Potluck noon, meeting 1 p.m., second Saturday of each month.

DAV Adjutant/Service Office

North Mason Resources, 140 NE State Route 300, Belfair. 360-552-2303.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday or by appointment.

Kitsap County Veterans Assistance Program

Address: Kitsap County Department of Human Services, 614 Division St., MS-23, Port Orchard.

Contact: 360-337-4811. Online: www.kitsapgov.

com/hs/veterans/VA.htm.

Marine Corps League Olympic Peninsula

Detachment 531Address: 2315 Burwell St.,

Bremerton. 360-265-7492.Meets 6 p.m. on the first

Wednesday of the month.

Suquamish Tribe Veterans Resource Office

Contact: LaVada Anderson, 360-394-8515, lander son@suquamish.nsn.us.

VFW Post 239Bremerton

Address: 190 Dora Ave., Bremerton. 360-377-6739.

Meets 7 p.m. second Tuesday of the month.

VFW Post No. 1694Shelton

Address: Memorial Hall, Second and Franklin streets, Shelton. 360-426-4546.

Meets 7 p.m. on the sec-ond and fourth Thursdays of each month. Beverages and snacks are served at 6 p.m. by the Ladies Auxiliary.

WorkSource Kitsap CountyAddress: 1300 Sylvan Way,

second floor, Bremerton. 360-337-4767.

Contact: Michael Robinson, disabled veterans outreach, 360-337-4727, mrobinson@esd.wa.gov. Or jmc kenna@esd.wa.gov.

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PORT ORCHARD — Stacey James is Kitsap County’s new veterans assistance planner.

James is a 32-year Air Force veteran (active duty and Air National Guard/Reserves). Her last duty assignment before retiring in 2011 was the mobilized direc-tor of USCENTCOM’s Joint Reserve Intelligence Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Since, 9/11, she served in Qatar, Pakistan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia with travels thoughout Persian Gulf region. In the civilian sector, she worked in the criminal justice field as a program manager and specialist, adjunct instruc-tor and work and family consultant with the Bangor Fleet and Family Support Center.

James volunteers at the Silverdale YMCA’s Life University, co-facilitates suicide intervention train-ing on Bangor, and is a trainer for Ombudsmen Basic Training. She and

her husband Jack James, a retired Navy veteran, met while deployed with Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force and have been married for 11 years. Together, they have four sons, with one serv-ing in the Army, and one granddaughter.

Contact her at 360-337-4811 or sjames@co.kitsap.wa.us.

In Uniform: Air Force Airman Connor A. Frender

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Air Force Airman

Connor A. Frender gradu-ated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military dis-cipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Frender is the son of

Deanna L. Frender of Poulsbo. He is a 2013 graduate of Central Kitsap High School.

In Uniform: Army Pvt. Aaron C. Richards

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Army Pvt. Aaron C. Richards has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, South Carolina.

During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values; physical fitness;

and received instruc-tion and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.

Richards is the son of Jennifer E. Richards of Port Orchard. He is a 2013 graduate of Academy Northwest High School, Poulsbo.

MAY 13n Kitsap County

Veterans Advisory Board meeting, 5:30 p.m. in the Evergreen Room of the Silverdale Community Center, 9729 Silverdale Way NW, Silverdale.

MAY 15n 2015 Public Safety

Career Fair, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. , Hilton Vancouver, 301 W Sixth St., Vancouver. Free. Numerous career opportunities available, including law enforce-ment, corrections officers, 911 dispatchers, firefight-ers, paramedics and more. Info: www.publicsafety-testing.com/career-fair/.

n Veterans’ Resource Training, noon to 4 p.m. Everett Music Hall, 1402 SE Everett Mall Way, Everett. Learn about federal, state and local resources for veterans, free. RSVP to Constance Franks, 425-388-7262.

MAY 16n Armed Forces Day, 10

a.m. to 6 p.m. at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Free and open to the public. Info: email usarmy.jblm.imcom.mbx.pao-public@mail.mil.

MAY 23n The Unforgotten,

Run to Tahoma VI, 9:15 a.m. Kitsap County Admin Building, Port Orchard. Celebration of Life Ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Join in honoring with words and song the lives of departed veterans as their remains are received from the county coroner and escorted to Tahoma National Cemetery.

MAY 24nThurston County

Waterside Memorial Service, 1 p.m., Percival Landing Park, 405 Columbia St. NW, Olympia. Waterside Memorial Service to

remember all our men and women lost at sea. RSVP to tcvcchairman@yahoo.com. Info: Lousealla McElroy, 360-789-2202.

MAY 25n Memorial Day Tool

Drive, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tahoma High School park-ing lot, 18200 SE 240th St., Kent. Honor a veteran and help conservation in your community by donating new or used tools to sup-port outdoor therapies through the Veterans Conservation Corps. Info: Melissa Lang, 206-778-8235; Jeremy Grisham, 206-402-1977; or Jason Alves, 360-742-8789.

n Spanaway Memorial Day Service, 10:30 a.m., Bethany Lutheran Church, 26418 Mountain Highway, Spanaway. Info: Doug Kotrba, 253-531-6701 or kotrba@comcast.net.

MAY 27n Amvets Veterans

Job Fair, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 5717 S. Tyler St., Tacoma. Bring your resume. Dress to impress.

MAY 29n AUSA “ForeRTroops”

Golf Tournament, 10 a.m., Eagles Pride Golf Courts, I-5 Exit 116, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Tacoma. Registration at 10 a.m., shotgun start at noon. Info: Carroll Dickson

at carrolldickson@com cast.net or 253-566-5870.

MAY 30n Veterans Resource

Fair, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Tacoma Dome, 2727 E. D St., Tacoma. Free. The fair will have providers for community services, VA benefits, educational benefits, female veterans resources, reintegration services and more. Info:

Alfredo Medina, titoveter ansadvocate@gmail.com or 206-802-5578.

— To submit items to the Calendar of Events, email Editor Richard Walker, rwalker@soundpublishing.com.

MAY 2015 | VETERANS LIFE I 13

On- and near-base programs can help you earn your degreeThese colleges have

a presence on or near military bases in Kitsap County. The contact infor-mation for the college’s veterans service office or liaison is listed.

n Brandman University, Naval Base Kitsap — Bangor. Call 800-746-0082. Email acada dvisorBN@brandman.edu. Go to www.brandma n.edu/bangor-nbk/contac t#sthash.4Bw1Ulb7.dpuf

n Old Dominion University: Naval Base

Kitsap — Bangor. 1042 Tautog Circle, Building 1042, Room 103. Contact Duane Sharpe, associate director of military and veterans education, 360-479-5114, dsharpe@odu.edu.

n Old Dominion University: Naval Station Kitsap — Bremerton. C/o Navy College Office, 120 S. Dewey St., Building 491, Room 214, Bremerton. Contact Duane Sharpe, associate director of military and veterans

education, 360-479-5114, dsharpe@odu.edu.

n Olympic College, Naval Base Kitsap — Bangor. Navy College Office, Building 1042. Call 360-473-2821. Email vetce nter@olympic.edu.

n Olympic College, Naval Base Kitsap — Bremerton. Navy College Office, Building 491. Call 360-473-2821. Email vetce nter@olympic.edu.

n Olympic College, Bremerton campus. 1600 Chester Ave. Call 360-792-

6050. Email prospect@oly mpic.edu.

n Olympic College, Poulsbo campus. 1000 Olympic College Way NW, Poulsbo. Call 360-394-2700. Email poulsbocamp us@olympic.edu.

n Vincennes University: Naval Base Kitsap — Bremerton. Contact Jeff Dobson, site director, 120 S. Dewey St., Building 491, Bremerton. 360-478-7202. Email jdobson@vinu.edu.

n Washington State University: Olympic

College Poulsbo, 1000 Olympic College Way NW, Poulsbo. Call 360-394-2700. Email poulsbocamp us@olympic.edu.

n Western on the Peninsulas is a satel-lite campus of Western Washington University serving Kitsap, Peninsula and Clallam counties. Western on the Peninsula offers degree and commu-nity programs in Poulsbo, Bremerton and Port Angeles. Currently, bach-elor degrees in business

administration, environ-mental science, environ-mental policy, elementary education and human resources are offered. Contact Kathy Johnson, Kathy.johnson@wwu.edu, (360) 394-2733. Located at Olympic College, 1000 Olympic College Way NW, Poulsbo.

KitsapVeteransLife.com: your online news source

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By DANNIE OLIVEAUXSound Publishing

Michelle Castro has been throughout the U.S. and the

world while serving in the U.S Navy.

But now, she is trying a new type of counseling service — mobile.

She owns Mobile Therapy by MC, at 2497 Bethel Road SE, Port Orchard.

“I was wanting to open a private practice and do something different,” she said. “This is a concept I came up with myself.”

Castro purchased a 1988 RV which she is using as a mobile office.

Initially, Castro said she will provide counseling at her office so she can develop a connection, rela-tionship and trust with her clients.

“I need to know where the client is at and how safe things are,” Castro said. “I want to be able to take it on the road.”

She’s aiming to do coun-seling session outside, sur-rounded by nature.

“A lot of people suffer

from depression — a lack of Vitamin D or sunshine,” Castro said. “I want to be able to get people from just sitting in a room and get outside and enjoy things.”

Castro said people have fears of different things and she wants to help get them exposed to them at a slow pace.

“I can’t do that just sitting in an office,” she noted. “I want to help them conquer their fears.”

Castro said she has experience dealing with adolescents to people age 53 — civilian and veterans.

“I work very well with adolescents and I also con-nect very well with adults,” she said. “I don’t pull punches and I try to be direct with a soft glove.”

Castro said she wants to help people suffering from post-traumatic stress

disorder (PTSD) anxiety, depression and addictions.

She also plans to incor-porate art therapy into some of her session.

“It’s really helpful with people suffering from trauma or PTSD,” Castro said. “It’s a way of process-ing thoughts and moving it into a different part of the brain.”

After 20 years in the U.S. Navy, Castro retired and originally planned to become a school teacher. She earned a bachelor’s degree in art and social science with an emphasis in education from Ashford University — an online college.

“I wanted to be a middle school math teacher, but I learned too much about the school system,” Castro said. “Perhaps it wasn’t the ideal route for me. I love to teach and did a lot of teaching in the Navy. I just though I wasn’t going to be a good fit.”

Castro qualified for a veteran’s rehabilitation program because of her

disability status.“I couldn’t do what I did

for the Navy out here with-out other pieces of paper, and with some physical dis-abilities I am not able to do some things.

After taking several tests, Castro told her coun-selor she would like to something with coaching or teaching.

“He asked me about being a mental health counselor and it kind of clicked with me,” she said.

“I think it would be a good option.”

Castro later enrolled at from Argosy University in Seattle for her degree.

From hospitality industry to chief petty

officerShe was born in Texas,

but spent most of her child-hood in Wisconsin. After graduating high school, Castro moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and worked in the hospitality industry. At age 24, she decided to enlist in

the U.S. Navy.While in the Navy,

Castro was stationed at a variety bases, which includ-ed Pearl Harbor, Great Lakes, San Diego, Italy, Dubai and Singapore.

She attended a preven-tative medicine school in Oakland, Calif., then later returned there as a teacher.

Castro was a drill instructor in Great Lakes for four years.

While stationed on the USS Stennis, she decided to purchase a home in Bremerton. Castro spent her last two years in the Navy in Spain.

“I came back to my home here,” she said.

She eventually earned the rank of chief.

“A mental health coun-selor is basically a ‘chief’ and the way I defined a ‘chief’ is someone who is taking care of their peo-ple,” Castro said.

For an appoint-ment, call 360-979-6183 or email Castro at MobileTherapybyMC@gmail.com. For more infor-mation, go to www.mobile therapybymc.com.

MAY 2015 | VETERANS LIFE I 15

Mobile therapy service comes to South KitsapMichelle Castro brings a new level of accessibility to counsel- ing.

Dannie Oliveaux Staff photo

“I want to help them conquer their fears.”

— Michelle Castro

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