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On Don Bakke, an email forwarded from Jim Hovda:

Jim, I was at Flying Cloud Airport when the gal who works there told me that her father had died and was to be buried at Fort Snelling that coming Friday the 20th.

She asked if I could help her establish his status as a Vietnam Veteran because he had never spoken about his service there.

He had actually served two tours, the second one as an E-6 in SF, but she wasn’t sure since they had never found his medals. I found an article from Stars and Stripes that expanded on a Special Forces encounter where this soldier, Don Bakke, had saved a bunch of guys and was injured so, for actions that day, won another Bronze Star

The photo is of Don visiting our Eden Prairie Veterans Memorial. Apparently, he loved the statues out there and so the family used a photo from our statues to put onto the funeral announcement they showed me.

I had a great time at your shooting range, keep up the good work, Neil New Members: We have added Gary Schafer to the newsletter mailing list. Gary was in the 82nd from 1962 through 1964 and currently lives in Gibbon. I bumped into Gary at a local veterans’ fundraiser. He was easy to spot, wearing a black baseball hat with the 82nd Airborne Division patch on it. Welcome aboard. The Next Chapter Business Meeting: The next meeting is at the

Glockenspiel Restaurant Tues, Apr 7th, 2015.

The Glockenspiel is near downtown St. Paul, (605 7th St W) and the meeting starts at 7:00 pm. http://www.glockenspielrestaurant.com/

Some folks show up early for dinner, about 6:15. Some folks show up early and socialize until the meeting. Some folks just come to the meeting. Come on down.

Treasurer: Matt Mitlyng Mitlyng@gmail.com, 763-208-6487

Secretary/Editor: Dan Kaiser kais0063@umn.edu, (507) 647-3526

425 3rd Street West Winthrop, MN 55396

Chapter Website: www.sfa20.org

President: Ron Lachelt Lachelts@gmail.com Webmaster: Doug Brown bftc@hutchtel.net

The Special Forces Association Chapter XX

The Kenneth Worthley Memorial Chapter Newsletter

The “20/20” Flash

April 2015

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Upcoming Activities: April 10th at 5pm, meeting with Senator Fong Hawj on the comprehensive Southeast Asian Veterans Memorial legislation at the IKA Headquarters located at 1404 Concordia Ave., Saint Paul, MN. The Special Operations Memorial Stone Dedication at the Fort Snelling National Cemetery’s Airborne Circle will be at 1 pm on April 18th, 2015. A reception will follow at the Richfield American Legion. The enclosed Flyer is compliments of the Coalition of Southeast Asian Veterans. Doug Brown has posted the information about the stone dedication on April 18th on our website. Check it out! sfa20.org As Ron wrote in his email: The time has come to formally dedicate the Special Operations Stone/Plaque at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery!

The date is Saturday, April 18, 2015. The time is 1pm. The location is the Airborne Circle at The

Ft Snelling National Cemetery. All veterans of Special Operations units

are welcome. We will be noting the contribu-tions of the Royal Lao & Hmong Special Guerrilla Units and the Khmer Special Forces Units. We would like to have each of the above units march in with their uniforms and colors. We would like to adjourn to the Richfield American Legion for an after-ceremony get together.

Let me know if you have suggestions. Email me or call (952-882-1249) or call Trudell (651-455-3787) This should be a wonderful day! Ron Lachelt, SFA Chapter XX Jumping With The Best, Freefall Jumps at the Baldwin Drop Zone. Ron will be calling Dan for information from last year’s jump and we will start working on a jump for June. The Two Harbors Heritage Days Parade should be on July 11th. Mark your calendars and, if you need to, make your hotel reservations soon. More info to follow.

After Action Reviews: Meeting Minutes: The March Business Meeting was on March 3rd and started at 7:02 pm. Present were: Doug Bekke John Roy Col. Khao Bouachan Sinouthasy Ron Lachelt Art Videen Matt Mitlyng Jack Running Bob Pike Dan Kaiser Scott Walker and members of the Khmer Assembly. Matt made a motion to accept December Meeting Minutes (as printed in the January Newsletter) and the January meeting Minutes (as printed in the February Newsletter.) Ron seconded the motion and it was carried. The Secretary noted that February Meeting consisted of 3 members having dinner and a great time just sitting around talking. Unfortunately, this does not constitute a quorum, so no official meeting was held. Which, in the end, is okay because no one took any notes. Ron made a motion to accept the Financial Report, as given by Matt. John seconded the motion and it was carried. We discussed the upcoming 65th Royal Lao Army Celebration Day on March 28th, Lao SFA membership transfers to Chapter XX, the freefall jump at Baldwin Drop Zone in Wisconsin, and the First Special Service Force Congressional Gold Medal Presentation. We discussed an old motion to donate $500.00 to the Lao State Capital Monument Fund. Matt noted that he never cut a check for the donation. To be official, John re-made the motion to donate $500.00 to the Monument fund. Ron seconded the motion and it was carried. We then discussed the next Memorial Stone in the Airborne Circle in Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Ron made a motion to donate $250.00, in the Khmer’s name, to that fund. John seconded the motion and it was carried. The Khmer made a presentation to the Chapter, as an appreciation for all the

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work the two groups have been able to accomplish. Jack Running noted that Bob Ericson was in the VA and that he was to released soon. Doug Bekke mentioned that the Minnesota Military Museum’s Exhibit “Minnesota Voices From Vietnam” would be opening on July 18th. Matt made a motion to close. Ron seconded the motion and it was carried. The 65th Royal Lao Army Celebration Day: (an email from Ron.) I attended the celebration last Saturday night at the Busavanh Hall in Brooklyn Park. SFA members present were Jeff Arnold, Doug Bekke, Doug Brown, Tim Kirk, Keith Larson, Bob Pike, and John Roy. Airborne members present were Trudell Guerue and Jack Running.

Colonel Khao made opening remarks about the struggle that the Lao people have undergone and asked for support for VA benefits for the Lao/Hmong community.

The guest of honor was former Chair-man of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General John Vessey. At 93 he was still articulate, getting around well, and he spoke about flying a helicopter in Laos. An award certificate was presented to the SF members who were SE Asian war veterans. Colonel Khao reiterated his loyalty and friendship to all of us that have support-ed his efforts to benefit the Lao veterans.

Dignitaries included the Mayor of Brooklyn Park, who spoke, a number of Lao dignitaries from around the country and the local head of the VA hospital.

A lot of video was taken and I am sure there are a number of Chapter XX members who are now film stars in the Lao viewing marketplace!

After a quick meal we were asked to dance by some of the Lao ladies. It is a lot of fun! Jovial conversation followed and a good time was had by all. If you can make the Lao celebrations, please attend. The

Lao really enjoy us being there and the feelings are mutually shared. De Oppresso Liber, Ron From Scott Walker, on legal issues for our Southeast Asia Allies: I am pleased to announce that Khmer leader Hoeun Hach has scheduled a meeting with Senator Fong Hawj for April 10th at 5pm at the IKA Headquarters located at 1404 Concordia Ave., Saint Paul, MN.

Our Coalition will ask Senator Hawj to sponsor the comprehensive Southeast Asian Veterans Memorial legislation in the Minnesota State Senate. Please invite all our veterans and community members to this meeting. Note: I had the privilege to meet with the Commanders Task Force Wednesday, all the top US Veteran Service organization leaders were in attendance. I introduced the memorial idea to them at that meeting. All were in agreement that a comprehensive memorial, if one is to be installed, is the correct approach to honor our era veterans.

I will be in contact with each US Service organization in the future to better inform and take questions from their members. Please let me know if any of you cannot make this meeting. I would like to make sure each ethnic veterans community is represented at the April 10th meeting.

I am also pleased to announce former State Representative James Abeler has offered to help lobby our effort. Mr. Abeler brings experience with Legislative protocol and has genuine good will with all members of the State Legislature. Thank you, Scott Walker Executive Director, International Khmer Assembly Director of CoSAV, Coalition of Southeast Asian Veterans Hoeun Hach International Delegate to the International Khmer Assembly Board member of the Minnesota Council on Asia and the Pacific

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Other Information: WWII History Roundtable: The Minnesota Historical Society and Historic Fort Snelling are holding the Dr. Harold C. Deutsch World War II History Round Tables at the Historic Fort Snelling Visitor Center, 7pm on the nights noted below. If you want a chair then you should be there by 6:15. The Roundtables are normally well attended. You can get more information at their website www.mn-ww2roundtable.org

The Roundtable Schedule is: April 9, 2015 Air War in the Mediter-

ranean - British and American Operations Col Robert Ehlers, author of upcoming book The Mediterranean Air War, and Veterans of Air Units in the Southern Theater will show the importance of the Southern Front of Operations.

May 14, 2015 Retrospective Look at Goals of 8 WWII Leaders Dr Gerhard Weinberg, author of A World at Arms and Visions of Victory, will review the territorial and other aims of eight World War II Leaders on this 70th Anniversary of V-E Day.

An AAR from last month’s Round Table: Good Round Table last night. Dr. Jerry Brown gave a fine presentation on American logistics in WWII. No other country even came close to providing all the needed materials of war to their armed forces. Some of the numbers he gave were astounding. The US went from the production of 600 planes a year in 1940, to over 50,000 a year in 1942. The most critical development in the war was probably the evolution and production of the "Liberty" ships. Shipbuilding went from an average of 14-16 months to 30 days. Those cargo ships are what allowed the supply of all the forces throughout the world. He also talked about the little things like the infamous "100 mile an hour tape" or green tape, which 3M invented in 1942 in just 10 weeks. 75 years later, the tape is still being used by the military.

There were two "Loggy" veterans who spoke of their experiences in WWII. One gentle-man was an engineer in a Corps Bridging Company that support Patton's 3rd Army after the breakout of Operation Cobra. Their company provided Bailey Bridges, assault boats and foot

bridges where ever they were needed in the Army area. The second gentleman was a Seabee in the Pacific theater. He fought from Guadalcanal across the Pacific all the way to Saipan and Tinian. He help build Henderson Field on the "Canal" and the airstrip on Tinian where the B-29 "Enola Gay" took off from. At the end of the war he was in charge of the fleet engineer supply depot on Eniwetok Atoll.

“The line between disorder and order lies in logistics." - Sun Tzu.

"Gentlemen, the officer who doesn't know his communications and supply as well as his tactics is totally useless." - Gen. George S. Patton, USA.

"Bitter experience in war has taught the maxim that the art of war is the art of the logistically feasible." - ADM Hyman Rickover,

"Amateurs talk about tactics, but professionals study logistics." - Gen. Robert H. Barrow, USMC (Commandant of the Marine Corps) noted in 1980 The Minnesota Depart of Veterans Affairs sent out information on the month of the military Child and the Salute To Women Veterans. Flyers, with points of contact, are included in this newsletter. From Brian: World's Tallest American Flag Pole. God Bless America and those who love our Country so much and really under-stand why and how we have come this far and use their talents and money to make a statement such as this. Thank you Acuity Insurance and thank you Wisconsin! http://mortenson.wistia.com/medias/tejnwpitig From Ron: The U.S. Rifle. It has a range of roughly 7,800 feet - and is to be deployed in Afghanistan soon. I would call it the "Equalizer." Some call it the "Punisher".

The rifle's gun sight uses a laser range finder to determine the exact distance to the obstruction, after which the soldier can add or subtract up to 10 meters from that distance to enable the bullets to clear the barrier and explode above or beside the target.

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Soldiers will be able to use them to

target snipers hidden in trenches rather than calling in air strikes. The 35-millimeter round contains a chip that receives a radio signal from the gun sight as to the precise distance to the target.

Lt. Col. Christopher Lehner, project manager for the system, described the weapon as a 'game-changer' that other nations will try and copy. The Army plans to buy 42,500 of the MXT135 rifles this year, enough for every member of the infantry and special forces, at a cost of $11,900.00 each.

Lehner told Fox News: "With this weapon system, we take away cover from [enemy targets] forever. Tactics are going to have to be rewritten. The only thing we can see [enemies] being able to do is run away." Experts say the rifle means that enemy troops will no longer be safe if they take cover. The MXT135 appears to be the perfect weapon for street-to-street fighting that troops in Afghanistan have to engage in, with enemy fighters hiding behind walls and only breaking cover to fire occasionally.

The weapon's laser finder would work out how far away the enemy was and then the U.S. Soldier would add one meter using a button near the trigger.

When fired, the explosive round would carry exactly one meter past the wall and explode with the force of a hand grenade above the Taliban fighter.

The army's project manager for new weapons, Douglas Tamilio, said: ''This is the first leap-ahead technology for troops that we've been able to develop and deploy."

A patent granted to the bullet's maker, Alliant Tech systems, reveals that the chip can determine how far it has traveled. Mr. Tamilio said: "You could shoot a Javelin missile, and it would cost about $69,000. These rounds will end up costing $45.00 apiece."

They're relatively cheap. Lehner

added: "This is a game-changer. The enemy has learned to get cover, for hundreds if not thousands of years. Well, they can't do that anymore. We're taking that cover from them and there's only two outcomes: We're going to get you behind that cover or force you to flee." The rifle will initially use high-explosive rounds, but its makers say that it might later use versions with smaller explosive charges that aim to stun rather than kill. From Mike: A story on Elk. You have to see it to believe it. Remember, this is regular life in Banff, Alberta, Canada. You can watch it https://www.youtube.com/embed/794wEIbHlDc (Editorially and in my small minded-ness: I like watching the people not paying attention to the bull elks.) As always: on the next DROP Input: If you have pictures or news for Chapter section of The Drop, please email the info and/or pictures to Ron Lachelt at Lachelts@gmail.com. You can also drop off your pictures or news at the next Chapter meeting. Thanks! Ron

(Editorially, since I have gotten way better at adding photos to the newsletter, please include me in the “cc” line for any pictures that you email to Ron.)