October 30, 2010
UAW Veterans National Conference...An Honor to Serve...
They came from across the nation with pride, spirit and humility, as 200+ UAW Veterans embarked on the UAW Walter and May Reuther Family Education Center to take part in what UAW Veterans regard as the highlight of the year.
The week of Aug. 29 thru Sept. 3, 2010, the wooded educational site with its natural beauty  played host to the UAW Veterans National Conference. Veterans gathered and stood down for a week of education, relaxation and camaraderie. Delegates were eager to get started with the week's agenda that included historic guest speakers, educational and sharing experiences plus the amazing solidarity for which Black Lake and the veteran’s conference is known.
Highlights of the opening ceremonies included the posting of the colors by the National Veterans Advisory Committee (NVAC) and a special appearance from UAW President Bob King. The President spoke about the many challenges and tasks we as union members are up against. Speaking about national health care, fair trade, the free choice act and buying American, the President continually thanked the UAW Veterans for their service and sacrifices and took notice about this year's conference theme “To Honor and Serve All Veterans".
Secretary-Treasurer, Dennis Williams gave rousing remarks on the job President Obama has done to this point and reminded us where we are today and how far the country has actually come since the Bush years. It was very interesting when Williams compared what George Bush said he did for veterans and what actually took place during the Bush administration. 
Vice President and Director of the UAW Veterans Affairs, Joe Ashton also spoke to the delegation and made important comments on the need to continue our role to serve our veteran union membership, veterans within our community and especially the growing needs of our current day soldiers whom are our newest generation of veterans.
Twenty Region 8 Delegates attended the conference and played a vital role in the class rooms, decisions, lectures and assemblies. Of the many educational highlights, the class rooms offered important opportunities to involve the delegates in veteran’s legislation by the UAW's CAP Dept. Veterans Benefits, both in education and medical aspects were also taught. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) classes were taught by highly informed and experienced instructors. The Veterans Committee classes gave delegates a chance in a classroom setting to showcase the many projects and methods used in establishing their veterans committees. All of the delegates had the opportunity to share information on how they've gained respect from the company for which they work, communities they live in and the membership they serve with dedication, integrity and a willingness to go beyond the call of duty to serve veterans.
The guest speaking and lecture segment of the conference were of historic proportion that received numerous standing ovations during the week. Highlights included Mary Ann Merritt from the Women Marines Association, Rick Weidman Director of Government Affairs/VVA, Tom Howe from the Veterans and Military Families for Progress, and Don Overton from  Veterans of Modern Warfare.
During the closing ceremonies Joe Anne Shirley, Board Member from the National League of POW/MIA Families spoke to the delegation about the family aspect of having a brother, her brother Bobby M. Jones, MIA from the Vietnam War and her work with the League of POW/MIA Families for over four decades.
It was a honor and historic occasion to have Johnnie Webb, Deputy Commander from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, Hawaii, (JPAC) visit us and share the details of the investigation, recovery and identification process to achieve the fullest possible accounting of Americans missing as a result of the nation's past wars.
In closing, Black Lake and the Veterans National Conference is the highlight of the year. During the veteran’s conference, there's pride and respect for everyone who served the Armed Services and for everyone who volunteers and works with veterans. Delegates and staff alike are interesting and have years of experience in veteran’s affairs. The UAW Veterans are  dedicated and sincere in their efforts to better the lives of our membership and veterans within our communities. We are all appreciative of all the hugs and handshakes, the high fives and thank you's, It's always hard to leave our brothers and sisters at week's end but exciting to get home to practice what was taught.
Mark Peterson
Region 8/NVAC
UAW local 2069 |
