Pat Little-Upah AVHOFS President Class of 2014

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July. I went to see Michael Rowe’s new film “Something to Stand For”.  It was a great reminder of the greatness of ordinary people that have changed the course of this country’s history.  What was sad is that the movie pointed out that a number of Americans who see themselves as very patriotic has dropped significantly over the last twenty years.  I think everyone in the AVHOFS is a living example of what a patriot should be, someone who has gone beyond for his country not only serving in the military but afterwards as well.  Your stories need to be told to inspire others and remind everyone that our country is not made up of politicians but of ordinary people trying their best to do what is needed for their families, communities, and this nation.

We are making some changes to our newsletter which will now be put out quarterly with special editions centered around the induction ceremony and the Patriotic Awards Luncheon.  Our newsletter is basically a social one to connect our membership.  We highlight what members of the Society are doing in their communities throughout the State.  The new Unified Arizona Veterans newsletter is about upcoming events that are going on around our State to support our military and veterans.  I have asked that our membership be put on the UAV mailing list.  If you receive the UAV newsletter and do not want to receive future editions, you can opt out. 

We continue to try and find a location to hold a general meeting in September.  If anyone has any ideas, please email them to me.   During this meeting we will be discussing a few bylaw changes as well as presenting our strategic plan.  We will be holding our third strategic planning session this July and would like to hear from our membership on future projects, events, etc. that you would like to see your Society involved in.  Again, please email us your ideas. 

Our most valuable resource, and sometimes it feels like our scarcest, is our membership.  Your Society is financially stable, and we will be doing a internal compliance review in the coming weeks.  The Treasurers position has been an intense one and Jerry Wojtas has done an excellent job for us over the years.  Jerry had asked us to look for a replacement for him as Treasurer.  Jerry has spent many hours a week making sure our bills are paid.  We are staying on top of donations and legacy gifts, putting monthly reports together for the Board, keeping us compliant with the IRS, etc.  Realizing the amount of work that goes into this volunteer position the board has hired a financial assistant who will start on contract September 1st. This position will alleviate much of the day-to-day work and reports that the Treasurer has had to do.  I am also very pleased to announce that Sheree Bigge (Class of 2023) has agreed to step into the Treasurer position.  Sheree has a degree in finance and has worked in accounting.  We are still working out details as to her orientation with Jerry and when she might officially become a member of the Board.  The Treasurer must be a Board member.  We are a dynamic organization making a difference in the lives of our members and the veteran community.  We cannot do this without the involvement of our membership.  We will be sending out a short survey in the coming months asking what is your background, your interests, how do you see yourself contributing to the work the Society is doing. 

Stay cool if that is possible this time of year in Arizona. 

Patricia Little-Upah (Class of 2014)
President, AVHOFS

Please note that the address for the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Society has changed.  The new address which all written correspondence etc. must be sent to is:

ARIZONA VETERANS HALL OF FAME SOCIETY
7650 S. McCLINTOCK DRIVE
STE 103-443
TEMPE, AZ 85284

NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE AVHOFS COPER AWARDS!

The Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Society recognizes Arizonans (non-veterans and private or public institutions, organizations or businesses) whose actions have contributed significantly to the benefit and well-being of Arizona servicemembers and veterans, as well as their families and survivors, communities and neighbors.  As you know, recipients of our Copper Awards are recognized annually at the Patriotic Awards Luncheon.  We are currently seeking nominations for the 2025 awards and hope that you will consider submitting a nomination packet for an individual or business/organization you know who has gone above and beyond.  Now is the time to show our appreciation by nominating them for these prestigious awards.

COPPER SWORD:  The Copper Sword award recognizes an individual who has not worn the uniform of this Nation’s Armed Forces but has done extraordinary things in support of our communities, neighbors and our veterans.

COPPER EAGLE:  This award recognizes a deserving private or public institution, organization or business whose actions warrant high recognition for services rendered to the Arizona veteran or military community.  While there are many national and state governmental organizations who provide benefits, non-governmental entities will always be needed to fill in the gaps of service and support.  It is these entities that do outstanding service and support that we seek to recognize.  No more than two Copper Eagle awards may be presented in any given year: one award to a business, and one to an organization.

A few of the unique services and support that would qualify for the Copper Sword or Copper Eagle Award are education, opportunity and jobs for veterans including veteran friendly programs at our universities and colleges, legal assistance and courts that recognize the unique challenges of many combat veterans, and job opportunities that address the high unemployment rate of veterans.  Also included are healthcare and social welfare to include individuals or entities who focus on the veteran homeless population, veteran community care, and those who work to provide services and support to disabled veterans, women veterans or rural veterans.

You can find more information about our Copper Awards program and the Nomination Forms on our website at avhof.org/copper-sword-copper-eagle.  This year’s nomination deadline is October 31, 2024.  

The Society was proud to recognize two outstanding VA employees during the 2024 Patriotic Awards Luncheon and we were also pleased to recognize each of them recently in front of their peers at their individual facilities.  On June 13th, President Pat Upah traveled to the Northern Arizona VAHCS in Prescott to present a $500 gift card to Amanda McCauley, Physical Therapist, and an engraved plate with her name to the Society’s perpetual plaque that hangs at the facility.  Maximo Flores, Environmental Service Technician at the Phoenix VAHCS was honored in the same manner in a ceremony with Phoenix VA leadership, attended by President Pat Upah and Vice-President Karen Craig on July 11, 2024.  Each of these employees was selected by the Society for this honor based on their strong support and advocacy for veterans.

Tom Hessler President AVHOFS Cochise County Chapter Class of 2007

I welcome articles from members of the Cochise County Chapter of the Society.  If you are involved in a veteran related activity or event as a participant in any way, especially as a Society member, please consider sending me pictures and words describing the activity or event.  If suitable, I’ll publish it under this COCHISE COUNTY CHAPTER HAPPENINGS heading.  Pictures should be of good quality and the writeup well written with correct spelling of proper names.  For example, I welcome articles of your participation in events like Veterans Day and Memorial Day.  Articles should be sent to me at tjhessler@cox.net.

Clyde Meade Class of 2020

Healing Fields Flag display  (Prescott Valley) September 6-13th - At the Civic Center grounds. The community commemorates the lives lost during the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, by erecting 3,000 flag poles with the flagpoles bearing the information about the victims who gave their life on that day.  (can google the info). 

Yavapai County Standdown September 20/21 - U.S. VETS Annual Standdown to support the Homeless Veteran population in Yavapai County.

Veterans Day Parade November 11th - No theme at the present time.

Respectfully,
Clyde Meade
Class of 2020

Arizona Military Order of Devil Dogs Charities recently presented a $2,000 check to Visiting Angels.  Shown above is Board Chairman Bob Wallace (AVHOF Class of 2014) and Visiting Angels Director Cecelia Jernegan.  Not pictured are AZ MODD Charities Directors Stewart Fraiser (AVHOF Class of 2018) and Bud Watz (AVHOF Class of 2023).  The donation will be used by Visiting Angels in their operations to provide assistance to home-bound veterans throughout Central and Northern Arizona. The funds will be used to cover the cost of restaurant-prepared take-out meals for the veterans they visit and to cover miscellaneous transportation costs for service providers as they travel to various cities.

2024 WREATH SPONSORSHIP ORDER FORM

Jerry Wojtas AVHOFS Treasurer Class of 2011

It has happened, just as I was saying it would.  We have a new mailing address!  Below is the COMPLETE mailing address that should be used whenever you mail anything to our Society.  If you don’t use the “STE. 103-443”, which is our UPS Box, we won’t get your mailing!

ARIZONA VETERANS HALL OF FAME SOCIETY
7650 S. McClintock Dr.
STE. 103-443
Tempe, AZ 85284

Below are the names of those who have contributed to the Century Club by our July 10th press time.  I want to apologize to two people who had their names spelled wrong previously.  Hopefully. corrections have been made.  If your name is missing, please contact me and let’s see if we can straighten out the problem.  My phone number is 623-544-4477 and my email address is jp7wojtas@gmail.com.

BLACK- up to $100  GREEN - $101-$199   BLUE - $200-$299   RED - $300 and above GOLD - $400 and above

We are looking for volunteers to assist in one of the newer programs we offer to our veteran community. Several times a year society member Christeen Verchot hosts a gathering at one of our Veteran Homes. Sometimes it’s sharing a pizza lunch with the 2 to 3 dozen residents. Sometimes it’s a bus trip to a local restaurant. The comradery is what’s important. It is one of the programs that YOU and YOUR Society support. So, if you think you could spare a couple hours of your time and brighten an old veterans day, call Christeen at 315-272-9221. By the way, there are both men and women in these homes. You can attend alone or bring your spouse along.

I should mention that at a recent outing, a woman customer asked who all those people were that showed up. When it was explained to her that all were veterans from the Veterans Home, she picked up the luncheon tab for the entire group! There are some wonderful people out there!

StandDowns for our needy veterans continue on around the state. You can always help by volunteering. Here is a listing of the StandDowns remaining for the current year.

Roy McClymonds AVHOFS Quartermaster Class of 2017

When you order from the catalog PLEASE print clearly. I have had some orders that had errors.  I don’t want to inconvenience any members.

The country store catalog can be found on The AVHOF website. If you have problems finding what you want feel free to contact me at (480) 694-2425 or my email ramnpt@cox.net

Roy McClymonds

Request you let us know as soon as you know of an inductee’s passing.  If available, we would like to know the inductee’s name, date of passing, funeral and memorial service details, and a copy of the obituary.  Send notices to Pat Little-Upah at patupah@gmail.com.

Known members that have passed in the past twelve months.

Ludwig Kuttner
(Extract from obituary)

Both succumbed to age-related illnesses. Mr. Kuttner died in his sleep on June 12, 2024. Mrs. Kuttner died in the evening of June 13, 2024.

Mr. and Mrs. Kuttner are survived by their six children - Ann of Philadelphia, Stephan (Anya Wayne) of Berkeley, California, Nicholas (Mysia) of Alexandria, Elizabeth (Bobby Nitahara) of Phoenix, Jessica Lefkow (Chris) of Washington, DC, and Anthony (Michele) of Alameda, California - plus 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Mr. Kuttner, the oldest of Stephan and Eva Kuttner’s nine children, was born Dec. 8, 1934 in Rome, Italy as a German refugee. In 1940, the family escaped the war in Europe and came to Washington, DC., where Mr. Kuttner, “Lou” to his friends, grew up.

The couple wed in 1957, and for the next nine years, the military and civilian jobs had the Kuttner family moving to Oklahoma, North Carolina, New York, Washington, DC, Michigan, then finally back to Washington where the Kuttners remained for the next 25 years.

They retired to Hereford, Arizona for the next 24 years before returning to the DC area in 2019.

His entire life, Mr. Kuttner was staunchly loyal and devoted to the groups and institutions that shaped him. He was a proud graduate of Gonzaga High School (’52) and Holy Cross College (’56), and spoke often and admiringly of the Jesuits who educated him.

A Navy ROTC scholar at Holy Cross, upon graduation Mr. Kuttner elected to serve as an artillery officer in the United States Marine Corps. Although he served just four years on active duty, and another two in the USMC Reserves, Mr. Kuttner’s devotion to the Corps and to his fellow Marines was unwavering for the remainder of his life.

Everywhere they lived, Mr. and Mrs. Kuttner placed a priority on community involvement and civic engagement. Both were very active on the board at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Washington, then at Our Lady of the Mountains in Sierra Vista, Arizona, and finally were very pleased to be welcomed into the community at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Alexandria.

The Kuttner children all attended Blessed Sacrament Elementary School, Alice Deal Jr. High School and Woodrow Wilson (now Jackson-Reed) High School, and Mrs. Kuttner at various times served as PTA president for each of those schools.

The Kuttners were also deeply involved in establishing a thriving Christian Family Movement (CFM) with fellow Blessed Sacrament parishioners, and in CCD education for the community. The friendships the Kuttners built through CFM remained central to their lives for more than half a century.

In Arizona, Mrs. Kuttner spent more than a decade as a volunteer mediator for the Cochise County Family Conciliation Court. At the same time, Mr. Kuttner served on many boards, including Goodwill Industries of Southern Arizona, and was proud to volunteer with the Cochise County Sherrif’s Assist Team. He was also honored to be inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame in 2019. Together, the couple worked with others in the Sierra Vista community on the restoration and management of Carr House in the Coronado National Forest.

Mr. Kuttner began his professional life in Information Technology sales, first with IBM and then with Honeywell and later GE, focusing on distribution and manufacturing industries in New York and Detroit, and civil agencies in Washington, DC, where he settled in 1966.

The bulk of Mr. Kuttner’s career was spent as an executive with the federal government, first with the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. In 1975, Mr. Kuttner joined the Internal Revenue Service. Other than a 6-year return to the private sector in the early 1980s (“We had six kids in college,” he used to say), Mr. Kuttner spent the remainder of his career with the IRS, primarily in systems procurement and resource management.

Mr. Kuttner’s final IRS posting was in San Francisco, until his retirement in 1995. From there, he and his wife moved to their property in Cochise County, Arizona.
Mr. Kuttner loved tennis, and was a constant reader in a wide range of topics and genres. Especially in his retirement, he maintained an active correspondence focused on politics and culture with hundreds of friends from almost every stage of his life.

Allen Rossow
(Obituary)

We are sad to announce that on June 25, 2024, at the age of 84, Allen Franklin Rossow of Sierra Vista, Arizona passed away. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Allen Franklin Rossow to pay them a last tribute.

In the echoes of fond remembrance, may a sense of peace be found, knowing that the memories held dear will continue to shape and inspire his loved ones, keeping Allen's spirit alive in the hearts and actions of family and friends alike. While his presence may be gone, his impact lives on in the kindness shown to others and the joy found in the ordinary moments of life.

A funeral service was held on Tuesday, July 2nd 2024 at 11:00 AM at the Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery (1300 Buffalo Soldier Trail, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635).

In lieu of flowers the family request that donations be made in Allen's honor to the Coronado Chapter of MOAA Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 1685, Sierra Vista, AZ, 85635.

George Daniel Ross
(taken from www.avhof.org)