Forgotten Heroes, Inc (www.USAForgottenHeroes.com) has completed another mission at Hines VA Hospital in Maywood, Illinois. We met many old friends and made a lot of new friends this past week.

I was so sad to see that WWII Veterans Mac and "G.I" Joe Di Andrea had passed away since our last visit in August. The Filipino Guerrilla fighter that walked the Bataan Death March and served the entire war in a Japanese Prison with my cousin Joe Falucca passed away too.

Our friend Vito has been released, but will return for one more surgery in the spring.

CLP. MICHAEL SKIOTES, USMC - We made a new friend; Clp. Mike Skiotes USMC, who is recovering from wounds he received near Baghdad, Iraq 14-months ago. Mike was introduced to me on Tuesday. He came speeding down the hall in a wheelchair and was connected with tubes and wires to monitor the bad fluid being drained from his leg and all the medicine being pumped into his heart, but you'd never know anything was wrong with this Marine. He helped every single vet in the hospital. His personality and sense of humor is a huge addition to that heroic group of vet's in the Extended Stay Wing of Hines.

Mike and I sat together during Tuesday's show. He told me that he was worried sick about a test he had to under go on Wednesday morning. That test would determine if he would lose his leg.

I got to the show a little early Wednesday because I was now worried. Mike really wants to get back to his Marines, he lost five of his Marines in the battle that wounded him. Mike served in the 1st Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq and has been a Marine for 15+years. When the show started on Wednesday, Mike was no where to be found and I feared the worst.  15-minutes into "Jimmy Nightclub's" act, ... Mike came wheeling around the corner, ... WITH OUT A THING PLUGGED INTO HIM, ... he's good to go. Uuuu-rah!

Every bone in his left leg, from the knee down, except for his toes, are now metal. (Mike says that only makes his stronger, like the Six-Million Dollar Man!) All the skin, nerves, tendons and muscle have been saved! Mike is going home this weekend for 3-days and will be back at Hines for therapy, so he can learn to walk again. He told me, before he gets home, his mother and him are meeting other family members in Greek Town to celebrate! Oooo pa!

I promised Mike, that once our tour begins and once we get the date to entertain at Camp Pendleton (his home base,) I want him in his dress blues, with us, and I want him to walk on stage and deliver a message of "Survival and Hope" to his brother Marines. Mike promised he would do that!

JOHN CHREMKA, US ARMY 1st DIVISION -Tuesday, as I was watching Denise Brigham entertain, I noticed a vet wearing a "Silver Star" ball cap. After the show I introduced myself to John Chremka, WWII vet who served with the 16th Infantry/1st Division - the Big Red One. This man has quite a story. A Silver Star, (Omaha Beach) two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. He also showed me that he was awarded an "Arrowhead." He said to me, "I'll bet you never heard of an Arrowhead, have you?"

"No sir, I don't know what that honor is for." I told him.

John showed me a print-out from Hines VA that lists his medical and military history, and next to word "ArrowHead" is the word "rare."

John explained that a "Arrowhead" means first-in-battle. I asked him which battle was he awarded the Arrowhead? John smiled and looked at me and said, " ... the battle of Normandy ... I was the first onto Omaha Beach on D-Day."

John explained that when the "Gates of Hell" opened up (the name the troops gave to the door/entire front of the Higgins landing craft,) he followed orders and ran as fast as he could, for as long as he could, up the beach. When he found cover, he looked back and saw that most of the men that followed him lay dead in the water or on the beach. He could hear the Nazi guns blasting over his head. After about 45-minutes, more soldiers made their way up the beach and when one got to his position, and after John knew exactly where the gun fire was coming from, ... he took 2-grenades from the other soldiers and threw them over the dune to where he thought machine gun nest was. BINGO, ... a direct hit, killing the enemy and opening a path from the beachhead. From there he and his band of brothers worked their was across the enemy frontline, destroying gun nest after gun nest until all the Nazi's were eliminated. John was awarded the Silver Star for those heroic acts of bravery.

John was there in Tunis, North Africa when Rommel was defeated for the 1st time in history and he was there when Sicily was liberated. Omaha Beach, the Hedgerows of France, the Battle of the Bulge, the liberation of France, the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps and finally the overthrow of the Nazi Third Reich, were all witnessed by John.

On Friday, December 7th, a day that will live in infamy ... before I introduced "Jim and Silvia" I looked at John and some of the other WWII vets seated at the show and said, "I'll bet exactly 66-years ago today, you made some life changing decisions."

John yelled back, "Joe, actually it was 66-years ago, tomorrow that five of my buddies and I joined the Armed Services."

I want to deeply thank Denise Brigham and her husband Adrian for an outstanding show on Tuesday December 4th. Thank you for offering your service. You can bet that we will call on you again.

Jimmy Nightclub, and his Army Veteran manager and friend Rich Storto; THANK YOU for another outstanding show. Yes ... Bob and I accept your offer to entertain our veterans again.

On Thursday December 6th, my buddy Jon Brant made it in from Rockford. I had informed Jon that Mike Skiotes was not only a huge Cheap Trick fan, but Mike had seen Jon with Cheap Trick in the 80's and caught some guitar picks, flicked into the crowd of Marines by guitarist Rick Nielson. Jon brought two of his official "ALL ACCESS" backstage passes for Mike and signed them. (Mike was wearing them Friday when I saw him waiting at the front door for his mother!)

Jon played awesome that day, and I must admit, I have never seen a larger crowd. It was so crowded that nurses and doctors, who couldn't squeeze into the show area were dancing in the halls. It was also great to see my dear friend Ryan Jazak and his Vietnam era Veteran father Jim Jazak take the long ($3.00 in tolls ... he he) ride down from Milwaukee to see the show. I want to thank Ryan and Jim for helping out after the show as well.

My buddies John Steele and Bill Archer wanted me to give every veteran and concert attendee a copy of Bear Fight Songs. (I know the Jazak's and my Green Bay Packers fan partner Bob Kolling used those CD as skeet shooting targets when they got home!)

Finally, I'd like to extend a warm hug to Jim and Silvia Bender for making the trip down to Hines VA from Rockford. Jim is a Korean War veteran and is one of the Chosen Few. Jim served with the Marines.

What perfect entertainment on Pearl Harbor Day, ... a Veteran and his wife.

I'll bet in his wildest dreams that 50+-years ago, while fighting his way out of the Chosen Reservoir in Korea, Jim would have never believed that he would one day be entertaining the troops with his vocal talent as his wife played piano.

Those are just a few stories from Hines VA. I could tell you many more, but if you are interested, why not take a few hours, make up some cards, and introduce yourself to some of the heroes who saved the world? Show them you appreciate them. Take a trip to Hines or to your local VA and make a difference in their lives. I know most of you will fall in love with these vets as I have.

Have you got two hours to spare this year?

In the words of Jim Bender, the last thing Jim said to the Vet's after singing their encore, "God Bless America," with a lump in his throat, "I love you all, ... I really do."

God bless our Veterans! What a luck guy I am!