November 2005 - a formal groundbreaking ceremony was conducted for the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery Central along highway 31-W just south of the Gold Vault entrance to Fort Knox, KY. Governor Ernie Fletcher was the keynote speaker at this event. About 300 spectators including MG Robert Williams the Armor Center and Fort Knox commander along with about ten other general officers. Also in attendance were congressmen, state representatives, state and federal commissioners, judges, mayors, local officials and business leaders, soldiers, and Veterans groups along with a large host of AUSA corporate and individual members. During the ceremony AUSA along with its Cemetery and Community Project person, was recognized twice with standing ovations by MG Bob Williams and BG (Ret) Les Beavers, the Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs. The governor and congressional representatives plus a host of spectators extended other thanks. This was truly a great day for the total community, the State of Kentucky, Fort Knox and all military and veterans to include retirees. At this time more than $61,000 has been raised through the Fort Knox Chapter, AUSA. All of the money has gone directly to the Veterans Trust Fund in support of this cemetery.
May 2005 - Ft. Knox chapter, through members Roger Stradley, Maryse King and others, formed a partnership with Louisville Slugger, DHL, Waddell & Reid Financial, VFW, AUSA, and USA Cares to provide new or gently used sports equipment to units stationed in Iraq and Afganistan. CSM (Ret) Roger Stradley reported that after experiencing a few bumps in the road Operation Slugger seems to be back on track. With the help of the Louisville subchapter, the chapter hopes to assemble 550 sports kits worth approximately $1-M to be sent to units in Iraq. Collection will be during March, April and May with ceremonies to be held at Slugger Field in June or July. A web site has been set-up and the project is well underway.
March 2005 - at a Retiree Executive Council Meeting, Don Devine presented the Commissioner of Kentucky Veterans Affairs, BG (Ret) Lester Beavers $3500 in donations in support of the Central Kentucky Veterans Cemetery. This so far amounts to $25,000 of the $50,000 needed to construct the Veterans Cemetery located between Radcliff and Bullion Boulevard near the entrance to Fort Knox, Ky. When completed by the end of 2006, the cemetery will accommodate veterans and their families for at least the next 40 years.
December 2004 - Executive Council Meeting, a $500 donation request was approved and presented to USA Cares, a not-for-profit private Military Family Member Support Organization. These funds will be used to help family members visit soldiers who are recuperating from wounds received in combat in Iraq. The Army is unable to fund such travel/lodging and the Chapter felt it critical to support family member presence with soldiers as they recuperate (improve soldier morale and ease family anxiety). COL Pierce, MEDDAC Commander and Connie Shaffrey, Fort Knox PAO reported that USA Cares has assisted family members in joining their loved ones wounded in combat, but that additional funding was necessary. Fort Knox Chapter, AUSA is proud to help support this critical soldier/family member morale and welfare need.
September 2004 - The Louisville Stoneware Company unveiled pieces they have created in support of USA Cares. Emily Dieruf, widow of Marine Corporal Nich Dieruf was asked to tell her story to the workers at the plant. The chapter commissioned a special cup in his honor as well. Mrs. Dieruf also represented the chapter at the Pentagon Ceremony, when we received a check from the Paul Newman Foundation. Sadly, that was to be the day that her husband was supposed to be home from Iraq. She wants to do something in his name. This will help.
Amy-Jayne, our spokesperson and recording artist, was contacted by a production company that asked to feature her song "The Rock" in a piece that is about Army families for ACS. And for topping, MWR has invited Amy-Jayne to tour Korea. She of course, has worked in USA Cares into her performance; she tells the audiences how USA Cares helps families of all services and branches.
And finally, USA Cares has topped the $200,000 mark in our funding capabilities to families. We have helped 625 families or so. Not bad for 17 and a half months.
September 2004 - Fort Knox Chapter continues to support and make a difference through USA Cares. On the 20th of September 2004, USA Cares received a check from a foundation in California for $15,000.
Bob Manning, AUSA life member, appeared before an audience of 700 United Auto Workers at their conference, at their request and expense in Wisconsin, to tell the USA Cares story.
We were contacted for video footage of USA Cares by the organization that operates www.family.com, which is buying TV air time (we think) nationally. Their program features one of our volunteers, Farrah, and her work with USA Cares.
April 26, 2004 - USA Cares is a program that the Fort Knox AUSA Chapter became involved in March 2003 as Coalition forces approached Baghdad. Its only purpose is to provide support in terms of information, referral and most importantly, funds to military families who are caught in the gap of coverage afforded to military members, similar to the "OnStar" emergency response system for the military family, to borrow a phrase. While a majority of the support has gone to Army families, USA Cares also has helped a number of our sister services during this war on terrorism.
By the end of October, it was clear that the need far exceeded the one-time-event and from what was called "Kentuckiana Cares" a new organization was formed called "USA Cares." Incorporated in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and now recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) organization, USA Cares has received additional support from organizations such as AUSA National Offices, First Command Financial Consultants and PNC Bank to name just a few. Suffice to say that the Fort Knox Chapter – after raising nearly $140,000 and helping more than 400 families, while working as volunteers in cooperation with AUSA – does "Care" and will continue to do so as long as our men and women are picking up their rucksacks and leaving families behind during this war on terrorism. The dialogue over why we are there is a distant second to the fact that we are there, and that families are still living in the gap caused by deployment and mobilization. Visit the