HOLIDAY MESSAGE
from Steve Becker

This particular holiday season has a very special meaning for me.  You see, forty years ago I spent the holidays a long way from home.

I spent Christmas of 1967 aboard a helicopter carrier (the USS Valley Forge) in the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam.  I was serving with the Third Battalion, First Marines which was the battalion landing team for Special Landing Force Bravo.  Our battalion was stationed aboard ship.  When a difficult combat problem arose ashore, we would be helicoptered into the fray.  If we were sent in, you could bet the situation was bad.
 
The day after Christmas we were dispatched to an area along Highway 1, north of Hue City that had been dubbed “la rue sans joie” (the Street Without Joy) by French soldiers during the Indochina War.  That area had been a communist stronghold since the days of the Viet Minh.  Our operation was given the unlikely name, “Badger Tooth.”

The first day ashore passed without incident but on the 27th our luck ran out.  While approaching the fishing village of Thon Tham Ke, one of our rifle companies came under withering fire from machine guns, 60mm mortars, and Kalashnikov assault rifles.  I won’t go into the details of the ensuing battle except to say that before we could stabilize the situation all four of our rifle companies were fully engaged and pinned down.  The fighting was so close we were unable to bring supporting arms to bear.  We lost 48 dead and 87 wounded, numbers that will be forever etched in my memory.

That night as we licked our wounds, the enemy faded away.  The next morning we entered the empty village hoping to find some proof that our sacrifices hadn’t been in vain.  The enemy left no weapons and only a few dead behind.  We had clearly received worse than we had given.

To add insult to injury the monsoon season began with a vengeance that day.  The temperature plummeted into the 60s and rain poured on us without respite for the next seven days and nights as we camped awaiting further orders.  If you think 60 degrees isn’t cold, experience it while being thoroughly soaked without a moment’s relief for a whole week.  We were chilled to the bone.  My feet swelled with an affliction called immersion foot (known as “trench foot” in earlier wars).

On the evening of the 31st, our battalion chaplain rounded up all the medicinal brandy in the sick bay on the Valley Forge and brought it ashore by helicopter.  It was enough for a small sip for each man to toast the New Year.  I don’t care much for the taste of brandy but its warmth that night was a godsend.  I remember sitting there in the rain and darkness surrounded by cold, wet, filthy, heavy-hearted Marines, thinking that this had to be the nadir of my life.  I was miserable, both physically and emotionally.  I thought of all those families, friend and foe, who wouldn’t be toasting the New Year because their sons were dead.  But – I took solace in the knowledge that I was in the company of some of America’s finest and that the new year would find me reunited with my family and loved ones… and that no matter what misfortunes I might suffer later on in life, I would probably never experience another New Years like that one.

The crux of my message is, don’t despair.  Though we may have serious problems that have brought uncertainty into our lives, we have much to be thankful for… and the new year could always hold the promise of better things to come.  I wish you all a happy holiday season.  God bless you!

Online Shopping Safety
by Craig Ray

Never give out personal information or financial information to unsolicited
emails or pop-ups regardless of how "legitimate" they look.  Legitimate businesses will never ask you to "verify" or "clear up errors" through email or the phone.

Never give out personal information or financial information to any person on the phone unless you specifically called them or know who they are.  A legitimate business will never call you on the phone and ask you for this kind of information.

If possible, use only one specific credit card for all of your online activity. It should be a credit card, and not a debit card tied to your personal checking account.

You are entitled to a free credit report every year.  Take advantage of this to check your credit to make sure your identity hasn't been stolen.  A good time to remember to do this is when you file your taxes.

It is generally safer to pay with a credit card online than any other method. Always choose a credit card over checks, money orders, cash, COD, or debit cards. The reason for this is that under federal law your liability is limited to $50
if you have an unauthorized charge on your credit card (see www.safeshopping.org for more information).

Be cautious about ordering goods from outside of the U.S., because you may not have the same legal rights or be able to have your rights enforced.

Before entering any personal or financial information, be sure the website you're using is secure.  For a detailed explanation of how to do this, visit the website www.safeshopping.org and click on Security.

Flu Season
by Dr. Art Gendelman

Tis the season to get the Flu. If you haven’t received your Flu shot, get it. If your family hasn’t gotten their Flu shot, have them get it.

Knowing the difference from the Flu and just a common cold is hard sometimes. Usually the Flu is associated with high fever, extreme achy muscles, sore throat and runny eyes and stuffiness. A common cold is usually less severe.
If you are ill for more than a few days, please contact your PCP. Fluids, rest, Tylenol/Advil are the best treatments. Try to stay away from Residents because it is very contagious.
 
I hope your family and friends have a healthy, happy holiday season.