ARMED FORCES DIGEST

VETERANS

Gardeners to place wreaths on graves

BOARDMAN — Ohio State University Extension Master Gardeners is having its second annual ceremony to honor veterans by placing wreaths on veterans’ graves at Zion Lutheran Cemetery located on Tippecanoe Road south of Cornersburg.

People attending the event, which is Monday at 10 a.m., should use the south entrance to the cemetery.

Meeting canceled

YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County Veterans Service Commission has canceled its meeting scheduled for Wednesday. The office will close at 4 p.m. Wednesday and reopen at 8 a.m. Nov. 30.

Online health site

LANHAM, Md. — Returning military service members from Afghanistan and Iraq, along with veterans from all military eras and their families, have a new resource for information on a variety of health issues confronting those who have served in uniform.

The AMVETS Veterans Health Center, which can be accessed at www.veteranshealthcenter.org, is a free, online service providing information and health-care resources on a range of issues that disproportionately impact veterans, military personnel and their families. Health topics covered in the initial launch include Gulf War Syndrome, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Agent Orange.

The Web site also features sections covering diabetes and heart disease, the nation’s leading causes of death, with information on fighting atherosclerosis and preventing heart disease by controlling cholesterol and taking other heart healthy actions.

Military Family Month

WASHINGTON — The Armed Services YMCA is celebrating Military Family Month, which is this month, by inviting children of Armed Forces members to create artwork and essays centered on the themes, “My Military Hero” and “My Military Family.”

The annual ASYMCA Art and Essay Contest is open to all eligible children of U.S. active-duty or retired service members.

Winners of the art and essay contests will have their entries displayed in a number of locations in the Washington, D.C., area, and will be recognized at a luncheon on Capitol Hill.

ASYMCA will award U.S. Savings Bonds totaling $7,600 to first- and second-place winners of both contests, as well as honorable-mention recipients of the essay contest.

Entries for the art contest should depict the theme “My Military Family” and must be postmarked no later than Feb. 19. Co-sponsored by GEICO, the art contest promotes art among children in grades K–6 of active-duty or retired (with 20-plus years of service) members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and National Guard/Reserves families.

Co-sponsored by Lockheed Martin, a technology company, the essay contest promotes reading and writing among children and teens of active-duty military or retirees from all six branches. Students in grades 1–12 are asked to write about “My Military Hero” and postmark their entries no later than March 19.

Official entry forms for both contests are available at this Web site: www.asymca.org.

Pearl Harbor Mass

YOUNGSTOWN — VFW Post 1423 will conduct its 68th annual Pearl Harbor Mass at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 6 at St. Anthony Church, 1125 Turin Ave., at the corner of Burlington Street. All veterans posts are to assemble with their colors at 10 a.m. in the parish cafeteria. Contact John E. Malys at (330) 782-0340 for more information.

DEPLOYED

Rayen graduate

Army Spc. 4 Darin Taylor Jr. has been deployed to Iraq from Fort Benning, Ga. Taylor, a 2007 graduate of The Rayen School, is the son of Darin Sr. and Regina Taylor of Youngstown.

W. Middlesex grad

Army National Guard Sgt. Nathan A. Nych has returned to the U.S. after being deployed overseas at a forward operating base in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Nych, a cavalry scout with nine years of military service, is normally assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Plymouth Meeting, Pa. Nych, a 1998 graduate of West Middlesex, Pa., High School, is the son of John M. Nych of North Wilmington, Pa.

Austintown native

AUSTINTOWN — Army 2nd Lt. Patrick Passewitz, a 2004 graduate of Austintown Fitch High School, is deployed to Afghanistan with the 173rd Airborne Division out of Bamburg, Germany. Passewitz, a 2008 graduate of Slippery Rock University, is the son of Tom and Darrel Passewitz of Austintown.

BASIC TRAINING GRADS

Army: Reserve Pvt. William A. Rivers Jr., son of Cindy L. Rivers of Boardman; Pvt. Josh M. Chamberlain (Jackson-Milton High School, North Jackson, ’09), son of Gerrie Aey of Berlin Center and grandson of Gerald Aey of Poland; Pvt. Kristopher M. Zeronas (Reynolds High School, Greenville, Pa., ’09), son of Angela Zeronas of Sharpsville, Pa.

Navy: Seaman Cindy L. Wise (West Philadelphia, Pa., High School, ’02), niece of Gwendolyn M. Wise of Youngstown and granddaughter of Florence R. Wise of Philadelphia; Seaman Recruit Chad M. Peterson (Sharon, Pa., High School, ’08).

XItems of note for the Armed Forces Digest can be sent to The Vindicator, Regional Desk, P.O. Box 780, Youngstown 44501-0780, or e-mailed to alcorn@vindy.com.