WE SUPPORT THE TROOPS
WE HAVE ALWAYS SUPPORTED THE TROOPS
In Memory of Richard Leandri
For the past several decades, almost thirty-five years worth, I have had the privilege and honor of working with a select group of people who have dedicated their efforts to recognize the efforts of and the sacrifices of our military. It all started for me when I was introduced to a gentleman by the name of Richard Leandri, who was a well known Realtor and Community leader in Clearwater, Florida.
The Special Forces of the United States, namely the Army Rangers, the SEALS and other specialized units hadn’t received any recognition for the work, honor and sacrifice required of their organization purposes and of course secrecy was number one. But as news of their exploits came to the surface, it was time to recognize the sacrifices these men and women deserved.
Training alone resulted in several deaths but were well kept under wraps. This was and is dangerous work and with the expansion of our military into the covert actions of the battlefield today, even more so.
Richard, one man, changed all that. The Special Operations personnel can’t exactly give away information and the military can’t applaud itself, so Richard found another way of letting the public see what they do with the building of the Military Memorial in LARGO’s main park, Florida dedicated to all branches.
It continued on with Richards Organization called “ The Chairborn Rangers”. A group who took it serious and raised funding and in many cases hard labor to bring their exploits and professionalism to the forefront. Immediately work started on The Ranger Memorial at Fort Benning and the organization of the Ranger Games, a yearly competition seen on ESPN. It was followed up by the building of the beautiful SOCOM Memorial built on MacDill Air Force Base.
Richard was a mover and shaker, he knew everyone and everyone new him as a successful realtor and developer in clearwater. But his strongest suit was his love of the Military, when he passed, a Memorial plaque was dedicated and hangs in the entrance of the Special Operations Command Building at MacDill recognizing the man who recognized them. A few remaining members of the organization re-formed and in October 2001 The USCENTCOM Memorial Foundation, Inc., was formed.
This is the story of those who tried to do the right thing and ran into the red tape of doing something good for the services and received little or no cooperation due to an expanding war, terrorism, and indifference.
THE FOUNDATION - NON-PROFIT - SUPPORT THE TROOPS
As established we were a non-profit, Federal and Florida State registered organization, in compliance with code 501 [C] [3] established in 2001. We were publicly funded, and accepted donations for the Memorial at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida. No taxpayer dollars or Federal grants were used other than the land the Memorial is built on, as supplied by the US Air Force.
We, our organization are and were about the “TROOPS”. It is not about specific units, branches of service, rank, our board, or individuals. Our focus was clear and defined, we serve and recognize the “TROOPS” and those who have paid the ultimate price in service to their country under the control and direction of the AOR of the Central Command. They are all heroes…
All of our funds have been raised by donation. After sixteen years in existence, the foundation today in 2016 the Centcom Memorial Foundation has completed its task, advancing as far as we could bowing to the priorities and needs of our Armed Forces at the MacDill AFB site.
Extreme changes in base admittance policy and numerous delays after delays due to war, transfer, hierarchy changes, rotational deployments, dealing with the DOD, base indiscretions, lost paperwork, and indifference (not my job attitude)have taken a simple three year project and dragged it to sixteen plus years. We were planning an upgrade since it took so long but time exhausts funding and cooperation. We have fallen back in our attempts to further expand and upgrade the project due to a lack of cooperation, and severe cost increases in material and labor.
Those changes dictated by the DOD, which affected the basic goals we wished to accomplish. the killer was increased security, Our plan was for the Memorial to reflect the battles and accomplishments of the Central Command for the General Public. Thats the generals whose sons, daughters may of paid the ultimate price of freedom. Access to school children and its history, a meeting place a central point of closure for some.
We completed the Rotuda, thus our job is done, and we wish the very best for those who will follow…in supporting the families of the fallen, and hope the Memorial as it stands will serve its purpose.
CAUGHT IN THE WAR, ENSUING POLITICS
AND GOVERNMENT RED TAPE
Today the longest war in American History has killed (KIA) more than 7000 plus and the wounded count is at 52,000 plus. When we started the Centcom Memorial Project in 2001, the count was 148. And today, with Syria, Yemen and just about every country there it seemed the Arab spring turned into a long hard winter. 911 is and was more than three numbers, it dictated a change in the way we do things and a horrific learning curve.
Our project represented one side of the heavy price the troops have paid. It also means some original plans had to be scrapped midstream twice and the project changed in terms of the finishing to reflect the “ the mission statement of CENTCOM” and the significant changes physically to the base, the Command and the Mission which grew and grew.
Close to a billion dollars were spent by the Government to upgrade the base to facilitate the new marching orders for the war which never got called a war. A new series of buildings for the Central Command, the Joint Operations Command, the base Hospital and other ancillary facilities like road and gates and security.
They simply had no time for us, we were not on the priority list though we asked them for nothing. Being in a war with no name takes priority.
Totally ignored by the base, a simple request for a bucket truck for ten minutes, working with the base photographer, so we could secure photography for fund raising was denied. Big mistake, somehow the base JAG via the base Commander got wind of my simple request and that opened a year and a half investigation to see if our paperwork with all the new rules and regs were applicable.
What a waste of time and consideration on an approved project. at that point I lost all respect for the process. Then it became an Air Force project since Centcom was a guest ( again, literally a renter on Macdill) on Air Force property. Everybody had an excuse. Even though the Memorial was meant specifically for the Centcom AOR getting someone to stand up for us was impossible. We are gifting the base tot he tune of a million dollars and the both the Air Force and the Central Command could enjoy it and got treated like outcasts.
TIME LINES - MONTHS DRAGGED ON
- In Feb 2001, the United States Central Command was approached by the founders to discuss the possibility of building a Memorial to honor the men and women who served CENTCOM. The Commander at that time was Gen. Tommy R. Franks who felt the idea was both commendable and necessary. And then soon after, he retired, his support for the project vanished since he built his own Memorial and Institute back home and he relished in his own glory. In actuarial he left us stranded and promoted his own legacy and Memorial Museam of Greatness.
- We were formerly incorporated the 10th of October 2001. The Foundation immediately had meetings with the base engineers who gave us guidelines for the construction and the approximate location and direction the memorial faced.
- We received our Tax Exempt Status 501(c)(3) in June 2002. We started fundraising. At receptions community leaders were then presented with the Memorial Foundation’s Introduction and it was warmly received. And that was the last we heard of them and their support. Talk is big, actions much smaller.
- Ceremonial Ground Breaking took place in January 2003. Attended by local dignitaries, past honorary board members and Gen. Tommy Franks. The process to achieve Congressional Approval started and then so did the war. It was a race and the war won.
- After the plans were approved in 2003, they were reviewed in Washington for approval by the House of Representatives, the Secretary of Defense, the Department of Defense and the United States Senate. This is the procedure that needed to be followed even though we are not using government funding.
- More delays. Adding insult to injury, our paperwork, somehow got lost on at that time during the tenure of the 21st SEC of Defense, the highly regarded stand up comic Donald Rumsfeld. The initial paperwork got lost or it just got ignored in Washington. Resubmitted as rules were changed as to what the funding could, can, or must be. No one could get answers or direction. Our project simply did not fall into anyones “In” basket, thus it never arrived at an “Out” basket.
- In 2008, after Congressional approval, came through, again it had to be resubmitted and then resubmitted, changed and altered, redrawn and redesigned, the newly designated site area was approved.
- Another meeting with changes to the construction because of new rules and costings. The architectural design and plans are by the late and renowned Architect C. Randolph Wedding of Wedding and Associates, Architects, Inc were modified to update the new cost limitations imposed by the government and finally approved. Instead of being grandfathered in, they were putting us in diapers.
- This was to be a classic error later on/in the construction using the tiles instead of granite since the tiles were on a schedule for removal, engraving and permanent emplacement. That no one paid attention to despite conversations to that effect. No one at the base took this into consideration nor offered advice, a means or a way tot help us or aid of any sort.
The DOD and the game changers meant we had to re-draw and re-design since the materials we had originally planned to use [Black Granite and a slab configuration] went over the government gifting budget to a less expensive option of tiles and held in place [temporarily] with removable clips and screws with decorative washers called rosettes.
We had no other option but to meet the cost reduction to comply with Washington. Had the work been approved with years 2003 to 2005 we were within budget. The rosettes had a shelf life [maybe a year or two] and their purpose was to temporarily hold the inscribed tiles in place till they were inscribed and then epoxied permanently into place. We completed what we could do up to that point. - Finally, The Board of Directors of the CENTCOM MEMORIAL FOUNDATION are pleased to announce that on Friday the 18th of January 2008, after five years of “ BOON DOGGLING” the contract to build the CENTCOM MEMORIAL was awarded and issued after .GOV took five years to get paperwork they knew nothing about in place.
Finally so we thought.Construction began immediately as we didn’t want to get bumped again. We moved and started building. It was a costly wait while Washington fiddled and concrete and rebar prices burned upward. Our labor costs doubled. The security levels at the base started to get stricter, passes became impossible, increased, raising the costs and time spent on clearances. Our laborers received base passes easier then members of the foundation. It was starting to get frustrating.
- Numerous attempts at various departments at the base to facilitate matters resulted in what I call “Not My Job Syndrome”, because we did not fit under any command. Unbelievable, had we known what we had gotten into, we would have never started the project on a military base. We would have opted for a civilian off base site in downtown Tampa or the Airport area.
- From 2008 to 2011 the basic construction was completed to the point of the initial phase. It also meant back to fundraising as the delays and money expended expotentionally forced us to raise more income and required changes as the recession hit full force and the housing bubble busted. Also many of the tiles were on a time bomb as the temporary attachment point were not the permanent plan.
- Money became tight, and we had to look to other sources. Also as the construction began on the two new buildings for the Command headquarters and the Joint Intelligence building, it really hindered things for us. Fences and getting to the project became tougher. Our costs doubled and under regulations could not get an approval for more funds as it would take another five years.
- The billion dollar upgrade, huge state of the art complexes, mirrored in design and prominence, but it brought new issues of security, regulations, access and communication. The Joint Command Headquarters building was completed in 2011 and some of the construction barriers and security options still made it very difficult to get done what we needed to do.
- We wanted to go further and update our ten year old project but got no where, mired in mud, we didn’t even have a point of contact. Like we were forgotten.
- Then we got the news about security measures after some bad publicity surfaced about Macdill, some local personalities and the Generals. You probably saw the articles about a certain frat party atmosphere amongst the hierarchy at Macdill. Including but not limited to Command Officers. Par-tee, Par-tee, party.
The DOD has upped the security at the base, understandable in lieu of bad press over various non-professional indiscretions by the four star senior staff, which made the front page of most newspapers and the TV for months. It involved some really bad press about a few beautiful ladies from the Tampa Bay Area, with base passes, palsy relationships with parties and high ranking officers, and it made the national news ad nauseam. The gals got liberties and base passes and we had to fight for ours...
It made the front pages and every news tabloid at your grocery store. The press was literally camped in front of one of the houses of people involved which was Mrs. Jill Kelly, a “Macdill AFB Civilian Community Liaison person” and the rest of the entourage. And the FBI got involved, including an agent friend, and that led to investigations and the Petraeus Scandal.
It lasted quite a while, embarrassing the high staff and it forced the security issue on base to literally cut base access. The access for other good support civilians who were not taking advantage of the situation and helping to support the troops got screwed. Dedicated local Tampa Bay friends of the Military were dismissed.
Our organization and affiliation with Richard Leandri, built the Ranger Memorial at FT. Benning, The Socom Memorial at Macdill, The Largo Military Memorial and sponsored and developed the Ranger games. The entire civilians on base issue blew out of proportion and we were suddenly without any help, nor an agency that would issue us passes or allowing us to bring potential new donors to the site. WE were screwed by those who we wanted to help and serve. - In addition, after several incidents involving attempted breaches of the base, a shooting at the main gate, and gate security in general, homeless excursions onto the base, one gal got caught two or three times making it onto the base, the real tabloid killer surfaced and it was pretty but not that pretty. That forced the DOD to review the entire civilian base pass privileges. They killed our efforts...
- The DOD stepped in, with new rules and made it impossible for us to continue. We were as “Friends of MacDIll”, placed on the same list as the scandalizers. It basically killed us. Just getting a base pass became a nightmare with personnel restrictions, layer upon layer as the threats increased, whereas access became more difficult. The Command did not back me up, my base pass was turned over to the civil engineers good for thirty days, restricted and no guests. I ripped it up.
WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED
In the interim, after we lost our architect and friend who gave so much, when he passed away. Our staff became smaller, friends vanished, on to other things, we (the three of us) are all way over retirement age now, and sixteen years of red tape is enough, thus we have scrapped plans for any further future upgrades to the Memorial and will turn to other projects. We will not forget the troops. We will also remember who were not there for us to continue.
The Central Command Memorial structure is complete at MacDill AFB. It is a far as we can go. We cannot devote any more resources nor time to those not appreciating it or working with us. What they envision in completion of the project is in their hands. They tied ours up, a shame. And we did what we could to finish things and could not raise additional funding for a Memorial to serve the Military on a base that did not permit Civilians to visit and pay their respects. It’s a simple as that.
• DO NOT EVEN THINK BUILDING ON DOD PROPERTY - As the new security measures, which were imposed by the DOD, the good folks of Tampa Bay would have extreme difficulty or being denied, even gaining access to see the Memorial. That was the killer, and we were literally done at that point. Our entire project was to bring to the forefront the sacrifices made by the brave men and women of the Armed Forces in the AOR of the Central Command.
• IF YOU DO DOUBLE YOUR LABOR COSTS AS RED TAPE WILL SLOW YOU DOWN
• EXPECT DELAYS, CHANGES AND WORSE NO ANSWERS WHEN YOU NEED THEM
• REMEMBER THE DOD IS PART OF OUR GOVERNMENT AND WE KNOW HOW EFFICIENTLY IT RUNS
• ANOTHER HEADACHE WAS TURNOVER. On a war footing continuity is important, the revolving door at CENTCOM vital to the effort was a disaster for us. From the General staff on down, contacting anyone never got you the same phone number twice…to the same voice. Getting to see someone was next to impossible. Getting a return call was or never.
• WHOSE IN CHARGE - There were nine Centcom Commanders, six assigned, three temporary and every staff change literally meant we knew no one and no one’s line was always busy. The change of Command ceremonies were so frequent they could save time by leaving the chairs in place….
• OUR LOVE AND SUPPORT FOR THE MILITARY MEANT NOTHING - We were different from the other charities who secured large and free TV budgets. We represent those who have paid the ultimate price. We don’t have the right pictures, nor MEDIA support, or Hollywood and episodes to show who we care for, since our final shot would be a flag draped coffin. The bigger groups with access sucked the oxygen out of the room. People would help the wounded, but talking about the deceased was taboo.
Just the small pie wedge of 7000+ killed in action that few speak of. Calls to fellow groups like the YYYY and XXX fell on deaf ears. They are out there having enough problems raising funds. And some groups offering to help did nothing. We got the usual talk the talk, but no one walked the walk.
Worse we could not function under the controls set upon us as a vendor. For me to bring a prospective donor to the base or contractor involved too much hassle, a one hour meeting took a day or two at minimum. Few donators and vendors will give you that or succumb to the background checks and more politics.
No one came forward from the Central Command, the Air Force Base Command, and we got passed off from the Command to the Base Command who moved us to the Engineers. When we were transferred to the base operations the CENTCOM project had to be reviewed by the JAG. This was a complete waste of our time, our money and our efforts. .
Spending over a year, 15 months, with the JAG as to paperwork and Congressional cost controls on a fully civilian funded operation, which was already approved years earlier, no government money needed was another setback. It took fifteen months to make sure the “I’s were dotted and the “T”s crossed. They (JAG) found nothing wrong, except we found we lost fifteen months and our costs exceeded 50,000 dollars wasted. These delays and changes were killers and plans for a phase two were scrapped.
NEW PROJECT - THE MILITARY SERVICE MEMORIAL, INVERNESS FLORIDA
TODAY WE HAVE A NEW BEGINNING
In cooperation with the city of Inverness Florida, at the beginning of the year we will be unveiling a new city park and Memorial to those who served in our most recent wars. In the photo below our team met with City Manager Frank DiGiovanni, our organizations President Ellie Scarfone, Vice President /Sec Alan Jacobson (in blue) Treasurer David Troup, and we unveiled the statues we presented to the city for their new Military Service Memorial Park being built in the middle of town and accessible to all.
THE STATUES ARRIVE IN INVERNESS
After a 1842 mile trip, crated, and weighing 1100.00 pounds, the statues arrived in Inverness.
Inverness is close to the Florida National Cemetery Florida National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located near the city of Bushnell in Sumter County, Florida. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it encompasses 512.9 acres, and began interments in 1988. Saturday, January 20, 2018, The Military Service Memorial for the fallen will be presented today to the public in the Florida City of Inverness. The city has graciously provided the resources for a new city park located strategically in a very high traffic area where it will be seen, open to and experienced by all.
It is close to the hallowed ground of the Florida National Cemetery located in Bushnell Florida, next to highways 41 and 44 on the side of the government center building in a beautiful new park.
It is this proximity to the cemetery and an incredible supportive community of military retirees and avid supporters of the military that this town of Inverness is known for, it made the selection for our project simple.
Note: The Florida National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located near the city of Bushnell in Sumter County, Florida. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it encompasses 512.9 acres, and began interments in 1988.
Burial in a national cemetery is open to all members of the armed forces who have met a minimum active duty service requirement and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. A Veteran’s spouse, widow or widower, minor dependent children, and under certain conditions, unmarried adult children with disabilities may also be eligible for burial. Eligible spouses and children may be buried even if they predecease the Veteran.
Members of the reserve components of the armed forces who die while on active duty or who die while on training duty, or were eligible for retired pay, may also be eligible for burial.
DEDICATION - 20, 2018 Saturday - The unveiling of the monument in Inverness will be on JANUARY 20, 2018.
Inverness is a great little city. It’s a great town to live in, always something going on, concerts and the likes. And the city draws crowds of people, plus seasonal snowbirds, voted the top little city in the USA and it is a strong military town, filled with retirees from every war. It is also one of the fastest growing communities in Florida with all kinds of great things soon to happen.
The City of Inverness designed and built the park for the statues that we donated, it’s really a major city event, their show and we couldn’t agree more about how well the presentation went .
For the first time in thirty-five years of doing this work for the recognition of our military, our team, Ellie, Alan, and David can sit back and relax knowing the work we do will be appreciated and acceptable to all.
I am proud of our teams effort and closure, and we thank humbly the City of Inverness. The statues location was paramount to our initial plans for public acceptance and makes the representation easily available to the public.
I have included here some notes had a speaker not made the presentation:
Good Afternoon,
• Mayor - Bob Plaisted
• City Council - Hepfer, Hinkle, Mcbride, Bega, and Ryan
• City Manager - Frank Digiovanni
• Asst. City Manager - Eric williams
• City Clerk - Susan Jackson
• HR/resources - Sheila Densmore
• Special Events - Sharon Skeele - Hogan, dignitaries and guests, of the wonderful City of Inverness
My name is Alan Jacobson, VP/Sec. of the Memorial Foundation. What a beautiful day, the weather is with us. The important people are here , the Veteran and their families.
We gather to celebrate and honor the lives of the Infantry Men and Women of our Armed Forces, those currently serving today, the heroes who have served us before, and to recognize and never forget those who paid the ultimate price of freedom.
Like the Phoenix, the Memorial Statues rises from the ashes of the foundry, it surface’s and it is perfect in this beautiful park and Memorial where it was meant to be.
Inverness deserved the statues for this park for all to see. Its simple, Inverness loves the Military and the Military loves Inverness.
Our team led by Ellie Scarfone, David Troup and myself represent the organization who brought the statues here, the incredible lifelike work of sculptor Scott Stearman who is with us today.
The preservation of life sometimes entails the horrific loss of so much of our national treasures, the men and women, our loved ones, together with so much suffering, the demand of so many young and promising lives!
To honor their legacy, we commit ourselves to be more vigilant in our love for others, for our nation, and the cause of freedom, justice and peace throughout the world. May our nation be a source of blessing to all its people and to the rest of mankind.
There is a love I have for the all-branch Infantry Soldier. They were known by many names, almost a bit of humor in the colloquialisms they were given especially by members of other branches.
You could be called a G.I. Joe, or a Dogface, a squabbie, you could “be squared away”, a “lifer”, or Squid, You could be a Grunt, a Jarhead and USMC stood for Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children. We had Flyboys, also called Zoomies and Wingnuts. And our beloved "Coasties", those whose job is on the line every day working with Homeland Security. And still the box is not full, there are those who work in the dark and are not recognized for their own safety.
My point is this: Regardless of their job and position in the military, branch, unit, organization, group or command, basic training entailed some form of infantry training. Everyone in the military was an infantryman whether they knew it or not.
And you were expected when needed to assume who and what you were, a soldier. You can own the skies, own the seas, but it was the foot soldier on the ground that occupied and ended the war.
And when the timing and cause depended on them, they picked up their rifles and took up their positions. Just ask the Battling Bastards of Bastogne. Churchill referred to it as America's greatest land battle.
INVOCATION: Lord, your goal is not to perpetrate war, but to safeguard peace and preserve your great gift to man, which is Freedom. May you always be near to us to guide us in decisions, comfort us in our failures, and keep us humble in our successes. May God Bless the troops, may God Continue to Bless the Fallen by providing for their loved ones and may God Bless America.
THANK YOU
Alan Jacobson
IT’S A LOT DIFFERENT TODAY
Though I have been out of the service for fifty years I still remember the things that are important, Duty, Honor, Courage. Few things change your life and make you grow up as much as doing a bit of military time. I’ll probably come under a hail of fire for this but I think mandatory service to your country is an essential part of the total development of the youthful citizen.
Service to our nation would avert many of the social problems the kids learn as they get the wrong kind of peer influence from the street. Nothing is as warm and friendly as a Drill Sergeant teaching table etiquette and proper military bearing to kids who just graduated the streets and dinning on Chipped Beef on Toast (SOS) for the first time instead of McDonalds.
For thirty-seven plus years I have carried camera and pad and tried to tell the story of those forgotten. Of all the changes that have taken place in the military, it the style of war that has changed the most. In WWII the ratio of Killed In Action to Wounded was significantly higher than today. It was a war of bombing, huge artillery battles, armies out in the open, massive troop movements and vulnerabilities.
War today is different, it is illusive, deadly, with little distinction between combatants and civilians, unmarked enemies, no regard for women and children, they simply are numbers. Torturing, beheadings, drownings, rape and murder are accepted and sometimes utilized under the guise of religion. We call it terrorism, they call it something else....
And getting back to the numbers, the Viet Cong started a trend in Guerrilla war that means if you wound someone severely enough it takes seven other soldiers out of action to save a life. Especially since we are not on the battlefield, we are in the jungle.
Currently the Middle East incursion and resultant Arab spring the longest war in our history has cost us 7000+ lives and 52,000 wounded requiring in many cases lifetime medical support. The numbers support the odds. This is a tactic to break the will of the country in proceeding further.
A special thank you to our patrons and friends who realized we have had many pressing moments these past few years. You have supported the Memorial foundation with patience, friendship and loyalty. You have been the heroes. You have helped us through this long process. It has taken five times longer than expected, but we were diligent and pressed forth at every opportunity.
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