February 2012 Newsletter
Newsletter of Rogue Valley Veterans for Peace Chapter 156
Visit our website at: http://rv-vfp156.org
Volume 2, Issue 2
For February 2012
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Join
us at JD & Linda’s home for our next chapter meeting, Feb. 1
We’ll
meet in the home of our chapter treasurer, J.D. Dixon, and wife Linda Smith at
6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1st, at 3829 Rogue River Highway,
between the city of Rogue River and Grants Pass.
Here are directions:
·
Coming
out of Grants Pass - drive east on the Rogue River Highway (Hwy. 99) toward the
city of Rogue River. At about three
miles look for J.D. & Linda’s neighbor’s sign, 3825 RR Hwy., which will
be on the right. There are two
driveways -- take either one. Where the driveways merge,
stay to the left you’ll see an open gate on your right and come through
the gate with a wooden fence and park. Walk
through the open garage and you will find a door, knock or just come in.
·
Coming
from Medford - get off I-5 at the Rogue River exit, turn left and cross the
bridge to the Rogue River Highway (Hwy. 99) and head northwest for several miles
(on the south side of the Rogue River). When
you go past Greens Creek Rd., watch for JD & Linda’s neighbor’s (3825)
sign on the left. Come up either drive way (3829 or 3825) and stay to the left.
Go through the wood gate and as above.
Also,
JD & Linda will put one of those 24”x18” Veterans for Peace “How is
the War Economy Working for You?” yard signs out front. Among
the items to be discussed at this meeting is a proposed “Resolution to Avoid
Further Wars in the Middle East – Specifically, Iran.”
We’ll also decide whether to support other proposed actions by the
local Occupy Wall Street movement. Peace-loving
folks whether veterans or not are invited.
If you get lost, call JD and Linda
at 541-761-7138. We hope carpools
can be arranged.
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Stephen
Kwiatkowski of Talent, Oregon: Our
‘Member of the Month
Like many of our members Stephen was a little reluctant to be profiled in our newsletter because by good fortune he was never a “combat vet.” Your editor prevailed upon Stephen to participate because (a) there is no requirement for VFP members to be combat veterans and (b) he served his country just as surely as those whose lives were put at risk -- sometimes despite no prior desire on their part to be put at risk.
Where
were you born and raised? Describe your life before the military. Did you have
family members who were in the military?
I was born in Leeds, Yorkshire,
England. I lived first in the city
of Leeds and then in the Yorkshire country-side. I
came to Merced, California, at age six with my younger brother and sister and my
mom, when my mother divorced my father and married an American. I moved to
Ashland, Oregon, at age seven, to Canyonville at age nine, to Talent at age 10,
to Bellingham, Washington, at age 11, to Kansas City, Missouri, at age 12, to
Ojai, California, at age 13, to Ventura, California, at age 13, to Camarillo,
California, at age 14, and back to Ashland at age 15.
My father, Jersey Kwiatkowski,
was a resistance fighter in Poland in early WWII and then escaped to England. My
step-father in the U.S., William H. Springs, was a Navy Medic on a destroyer in
WWII. His destroyer was torpedoed --
blown in half, and many men died. When
I came to the U.S., he was working overseas as a medic at nuclear test sites. He
was in the reserves and was called up to active duty during the Cuban missile
crisis -- that is when we moved to Washington state and then to Kansas City.
When
were you inducted into the military? What
service? Describe how and why you
went into the military.
I was inducted into the Army
just after my 17th birthday in December 1966. I signed the papers to volunteer
for Army Medics at the suggestion of my Ashland High School principal and my
step-father when I was 16 years old in the fall of 1966. I
was inducted at Portland, Oregon, and was given the task of making sure that the
list of inductees I was given all made it onto the bus to Fort Lewis,
Washington. As the bus was arriving,
it was night. I was on the sidewalk with my back to the bus organizing my group.
The bus pulled in behind me whacking me in the back of the head with its rear
view mirror, and nearly knocking me over and out. My
group all made it to Fort Lewis arriving around 11 p.m. I had no lasting effects
from the bus attack.
How
long were you in the military? Did you consider re-enlisting? What was your rank
upon discharge?
I was in the Army for three
years, from December 1966 to December 1969. I
did not consider re-enlisting, re-upping was the term we used for it. My rank at
discharge was Specialist-5 (SP-5, pay grade E-5).
After
discharge did you go to college or technical school? Pick up any degrees?
I completed my high school
diploma at Ft. Steilacoom Community College in Washington state while I was in
the Army. I earned college credit in
Psychology and Sociology at the University of Puget Sound by taking night
classes while I was in the Army. Five years later, I returned to college at
Southern Oregon College, and after a year I transferred to Oregon State
University where I received BS and MS degrees in the School of Agriculture-
Horticulture and Crop Sciences. The GI bill paid a good share of my
undergraduate college expenses, and I was also awarded numerous grants at OSU,
so I finished my BS degree debt-free. The GI bill did not cover graduate school,
so during my three years in grad school, I had to borrow money to supplement the
Research Assistantship stipend that I was awarded.
I had a family by then -- four children when I finished my Masters of
Science degree.
What
have you done for a living in the years since you were in the military?
Before college I worked as a
structural painter, a janitor and a landscaper.
After graduating I worked as a
gardener for some millionaire wood products mill owners for a year.
Then, I worked as a Plant
Research Technician GS-9 for USDA/ARS in Prosser, Washington, for five years in
support of a potato-breeding program. My
work was tissue culture, virus testing and eradication, long-term potato
germ-plasma storage, distribution of virus-free, in-vitro potato clones to
growers and researchers, and genetic engineering of potato. I also published in
plant science and agricultural journals and presented at scientific meetings. I
worked in cooperation with leading genetic engineering scientists at the
University of Washington and at Washington State University.
I became certified to work with radioactive isotopes.
I attended potato disease workshops by AG Canada at the University of
British Columbia. And I traveled to
meetings in DC, New Orleans, Boise, San Diego and locally.
I worked for Southern Oregon
State University Biology Department for 11 years as a Plant Science Research
Technician. I researched pollen
sperm cell mechanisms and tissue culture somatic embryo genesis of meadowfoam
plant, supported by National Science Foundation grants. I
worked another 11 years at SOU Biology Department (22 years total) as
Storekeeper/Lab Preparatory for the Biology Dept., where I maintained and
prepped student labs along with the purchasing of supplies and equipment for
student labs and research grants. In between times I taught a couple of Biology
labs, and I grew and sold culinary and medicinal potted herb plants at the Rogue
Valley Growers Market in Ashland and Medford.
I retired in July of 2011.
Are
you in touch with any of your fellow service members from your time in the
military?
No.
When
and where did you first get involved in public peace activities? What caused you
to join Veterans for Peace?
I first became involved in the
peace movement in Seattle in 1967 while I was in the Army. I attended anti-war
meetings.
I joined Veterans for Peace
after Allen Hallmark found me reposting VFP cartoons on Facebook this past
Veterans Day. He invited me to check
out VFP -- so I am a new member -- just joined.
Describe
your experience as a member of VFP RV Chapter 156.
To this new guy, it seems to be
a great and caring group of folks.
Do
you have any ideas or goals or changes in bylaws that your think the chapter
should consider to further the cause of peace or improve our chapter's standing
in the community?
I would like to see Veterans
for Peace advocate for better educational benefits and opportunities for all
veterans. Do they already do that? I
think they do.
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