This article from October 9th was in a recent Hometown "Observer" newspaper. "I was fortunate to have garnered a multitude of military occupational specialties during the time I served in the military. Working in the Judge Advocate General's Corp as a legal assistant was fulfilling. I enjoyed training my peers on various aspects of being a legal assistant and soldier. In a way, the military prepared me for the work that I would perform as a civilian, too. It was during the early 1990s when I was asked by one of my superiors who was a practicing attorney and an officer in the Army Reserves to train the legal staff on the finer aspects of common tasks that were performed with weapons and the setting up of landmines. To this day I am still not sure why I was asked to perform the training class, but it went exceptionally well and of course I've been teaching ever since! I was also honored to go to the National Archives in Washington, D.C. to provide research materials for a story honoring World War II heroes from the 70th Training Division that was written and published in the early 1990s. This fueled my desire to write and research everything!"
Cheryl A. Vatcher-Martin, M.A. Ret. Army Sergeant, Canton

Read an article from October 9, 2008 Hometown Life.com concerning Cheryl's latest book, Cheryl's Musings, A Day in The Life of An Award Winning Poet and Photographer.

Cheryl's Musings For November:

I can't believe that it is November!! Of course we all will celebrate Veterans Day this month to remember all the veterans who have served before us, and are serving our great country today. We will never forget any veteran, ever.

Salute to Service takes place on Sunday November 9th at 2:00 pm. This fine event will showcase many veterans memorabilia. This year there will be new participants which will enhance this event. You can stop by the Cherry Hill Village Theatre between the hours of 2:00-4:00 pm to meet fellow comrades and make some new friends there. I've always enjoyed participating and talking to other veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf Veterans and the returning veterans from Iraq. Each veteran has a unique story to tell whether he or she served during wartime or peacetime. I shared my table last year with a World War II hero. I hope to see him again this year, and hope that he'll stop by and talk to me again. If you'd like to share a table with me, let me know. I can always make room if needed. You can contact me at peroinc5@comcast.net, or call 734-394-5193 if you want a table of your own.

I just wanted to let you know that if you are receiving compensation for your disabling conditions through the VA, you will be receiving a 5.8 cost of living increase. A few extra bucks may not go far, but, it is indeed necessary considering the state of our economy.

Please don't forget to vote!!!

On November 15th, I'll be signing copies of my second book at the Borders Express in Livonia at the Laurel Park Mall. I'd love to see you there on Saturday, November 15th 2008!

Cheryl A.Vatcher-Martin
U.S. Army
181st Infantry

Cheryl's Musings For October:

The crisp weather has yet to arrive! I am enjoying the summer temperatures during the fall season; how about you? Perhaps it'll stay warm for a bit longer. Choosing essay winners is never easy, and I want to congratulate all of entrants for submitting theirs to the annual contest. Best of luck to all of you! Speaking of writing, my second book, "Cheryl's Musings" is now available through Author house, Barnes & Noble.com, Amazon.com, etc. I have an author signing in Westland at the Borders Express on Oct 4th from 1:00pm-3:00pm, and, another at the Southgate Border's Express on Oct. 11th 2008 from 2:00pm-4:00pm. If you want a copy and would like to get it directly from me, that'd be great. If you mention when you buy it directly from me that you are also a member of Chapter 528 I'll donate a $1.00 back to the chapter thanking you for your support. As I continue to meet veterans it seems that many do not know about their benefits. If you have diabetes you need to contact a service officer such as myself to help you with an application for benefits. Maybe you won't get the monetary benefits, but you may qualify for health care, and reduced prescription costs. Feel free to contact me at: peroinc5@comcast.net for further information. Many veterans are also unaware of the clothing allowance that is available when one must use prosthetics for everyday life. This is an added benefit to help defray the costs of buying new clothes every year that get torn from braces and other prosthetic devices. On September 19, 2008, chapter member John Spencer organized the annual POW/MIA ceremony in Canton, Michigan. I, and two others read the names of the fallen and missing military members from Michigan. At this ceremony were two World War II Veterans who are former POW's. I cannot imagine how they must feel knowing that some of their buddies, and some of yours, did not make it home. John always does a superb job in organizing events like this. Thanks John for all your hard work. I thank Nancy Spencer as well. Hopefully some of the pictures that I and Gerry photographed from the ceremony will be included in the newsletter. John asked me to try and send some to newsletter editor Tom Brown for the photo section on the webpage as well.

When the traveling museum, Behind Barbed Wire, rolled into town, Adolph Dobek had to see it. The World War II Army Air Corp veteran drove from Warren to view the mobile exhibit dedicated to American prisoners of war in Nazi Germany. "My daughter called and told me about this, so I wanted to come see what was here and it brought back a lot of memories," said Dobek, who was a POW for 14 months. Dobek, who has penned a book about his war experience, One Slow High Flying Target Survivor, was held in a room with 16 other men during his prison stay. When asked, Dobek, like other POWs, offers the date of his capture without missing a beat. "March 6, 1944," he said. "I will never forget that date." Behind Barbed Wire, which was parked Monday afternoon on Veteran's Way, was brought to the township by the Canton Veteran's Memorial Association. The museum is housed in a converted school bus and features news articles, servicemen uniforms and accessories, maps, audio and books. Army veteran Stanley Sidick of Canton served in the Korean War and said past depictions of WWII POW experiences have left a lot to be desired. "They have not been realistic," he said, noting that he once watched a television program that implied POWs were often able to confuse their guards and then do as they pleased. Sidick said Behind Barbed Wire appeared accurate. As students toured the bus, they took in diagrams that showed a prisoner's diet, stories about "death marches" and looked over a chest filled with bullets, a first-aid kit, foot powder and an oil can. A Western Union telegram is displayed in a glass case in the rear of the bus that was written to inform a family that their son had been listed as missing in action. "Talking to the POWs that survived is amazing," said Canton resident Cheryl Martin, an Army veteran. "It's incredible they actually got through it." TRACES, a St. Paul-based nonprofit educational organization, created the traveling museum. The bus is scheduled for 32 stops in Michigan.

I also wanted to let the chapter know that my art piece, "Charlestown Gull" was chosen as one of the top three entries through the 2008 National Veterans Creative Arts Competition. I competed against 1,567 other entries nationwide. The two gentleman who are vying for first place against me reside in Washington, and, Arizona! As a disabled veteran I am proud to represent VVA 528 in this endeavor. If I am chosen as the first place winner, I'll be taking a trip to California in October. If not, I'll receive either the Silver or Bronze medal!! Last month I had a suspicious spot removed on my back. The stitches came out, and it is healing perfectly. I go back in a few months for another checkup. Thanks for the well-wishes!

If you'd like to contact me, feel free to send an e-mail at: peroinc5@comcast.net

Cheryl A. Vatcher-Martin
181st Infantry
U.S. Army