Comments (0) | |

Friday, Dec. 12, 2008

Vets raise funds to help stop military fraud

WARNER ROBINS — Middle Georgia’s informal group of Vietnam veterans has another fundraiser.

Last year, it was help for military families with a mom or dad deployed overseas. About $3,700 was turned over to the Salvation Army for that purpose.

This year, it’s support for a Missouri couple who maintain a Web site for rooting out military frauds — wannabes who claim wartime exploits, especially prisoner of war status.

The group — about 45 strong — meets at BoJangles off Russell Parkway in Warner Robins every Monday and Friday at 8 a.m. They call themselves ROMEOs, short for “retired old men eating out” — a title one of the wives hung on them.

Their meetings are informal. “Only one rule,” Tom McLendon said, “and that is we don’t have any rules.”

That lack of structure does not rule out a serious side. “We meet and enjoy the fellowship,” McLendon said. “But we post the American flag, the POW flag and a ‘we support our troops’ flag. And at 9 a.m., we stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance.”

It’s in these gab sessions and war story exchanges that ideas gain consensus — the latest being support of the POW network, www.pownetwork.org.

Months ago, the group was burned by a POW wannabe who claimed exploits that proved to be false. Members don’t plan to be fooled again.

“Chuck and Mary Schantag in Skidmore, Mo., run the Web site,” McLendon said. “They have hundreds of pages of information on wannabes. They can tell you within minutes if someone is a phony.”

The group will be manning a booth at the Galleria in Centerville near the entrance to Belk during the next two weekends beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday, offering $1 chances on four items.

One is a lamp replica of the Three Servicemen Statue at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Another is a framed eagle feather painted the yellow and red of the Vietnam Campaign Ribbon.

It also contains a small set of dog tags with a “welcome home” inscription.

Two identical flags complete the collection, each depicting an eagle with its wings spread. Under one wing is the American flag. Under the other, the POW/MIA flag. An inscription reads: “All gave some. Some gave all.”

George Pappas of CONUS in Warner Robins provided the lamp at cost. Keith and Hope Meredith of Macon donated the three remaining items.

“When people buy one ticket, they’ll have a chance at all four,” McLendon said.

More than 800 tickets have been sold. “We sent the Schantags the money and they were tickled to death,” he said. “We only have about 1,500 tickets altogether, so the chances are pretty good.”

A drawing for each of the items will be held at the mall on the afternoon of Dec. 21.

McLendon said the group welcomes company at the Galleria location, whether a ticket is bought or not.

“They can just stop by and talk to us,” the Vietnam vet said. “The men can sit down and talk while the wives are shopping. That’s how we meet most of our new members anyway.”

To contact Gene Rector, call 923-3109, extension 239.