Our Community has lost a Great, Great Human Being...

Deacon Ray, grew up in Patterson, NJ. He was involved in the growing 60's music scene and became an accomplished electric bass player, heck he was even at Electric Ladyland when Jimi Hendrix was celebrating the completion of the record by that name! Not bad for a man of the cloth! Deacon Ray was a great lover of the PEOPLE, especially his veterans. In the year 2000, he saw an ad in the paper that said there was a homeless veteran in a nearby town. Ray was incredulous! How can "Homeless and Veteran" be in the same sentence in the Land of the Free because of the Brave??? Good question... right? WRONG! He found the first on on 21 DEC 2000 and days later OPERATION CHILLOUT was born! Chillout refers to takeing the chill out of the bones of a person living outdoors in the winter brrrr! But don't be fooled, Homeless people and veterans die in the summer from heat stroke and exhaustion, dehydration and from drinking impure water! Dysentery and food poisoning from garbage scraps.... Is this how the people who respond to and defend us from attacks are treated these days? Many have PTSD and lost their welcome at their jobs and homes, husbands and wives, bosses and colleagues grow fatigued at their behaviors because they themselves have not "Seen the Elephant". This term refers to the Roman Soldiers whose eyes bugged out when Hanibal led his main battle force with Elephants in the vanguard over the Alps... PTSD has been around since the caveman folks. I know I have it bad. In the years after 2000, Ray and the Chillout team starring my Sister Moon, Ray's widow, Leslie Chimileski, have rescued and given new lives to over 10,000 veterans in jeopardy. When I got back from Operation Iraqi Freedom, I needed treatment for my Post Traumatic / Combat Stress. I attended the Lyons VA Hospital PTSd course in house and upon graduation I saught a way to give back to people in my shoes,,, and there he was, larger than life Humble, loving yet strong and incredibnly dedicated. I knew I had found my place. And that place was right next to him. Water distribution, t shirts, bug spray, sun block in the heat and backpacks full of brand new warm clothing from head to toes in winter... cots, tents, heaters and propane in winter and FOOD when it was possible through third party help. We fed the vets on the PTSd ward and MST ward at Lyons VA not with pizzas or subway, but Rib Eye Roasts, Turkey and Ham and my wife Noi's Thai food. But Ray was the man in charge and very Large. He had help but his VISION was the catalyst; His HONOR and STRENGTH led us through good times and lean. WE fought hard and long with one piece of red tape after another thrown in our path to get the Veterans Tiny Home placed and occupied at the Ort Farm Annex. I am so happy Ray lived to see a United States Marine combat veteran get a home and a job! He fought the good fight and damn it he WON! So to honor Ray and Leslie and every volunteer at Operation CHillout over the years, I am going to ask you something. Do you think our veterans, especially combat veterans should be living out in the cold and heat without proper shelter, food/water clothing and necessities of life. I know some communities who have raised full size homes for their local veterans! All I ask of you is whatever you can donate. When I started in 2007, we took care of Vietnam vets mostly. A few Korean and WWII elderly veterans also required assistance of one kind or another. But Now, the longest war in our entire history, Operation Enduring Freedom /Afghanistan, and its brother conflict Operation Iraqi Freedom, have concluded in the field, however our veterans are STILL in the fields, under culverts under and overpasses trying to survive - DEFENDING THEIR PERIMETERS. How is this ALLOWED in the United States of America? My Desert Camo Uniform said UNITED STATES ARMY! We the PEOPLE have a solemn duty as do I as a FIELD GRADE OFFICER, to care for our troops! MY Troops, my KIDS and by GOD I WILL all I am asking is for a little help from each and every one of YOU!, the people they defended! Dear Ray, please KNOW THIS. We will Not Fail, We Will NOT FALTER!