Page 13 - Florida Sentinel 5-24-19

FLORIDA SENTINEL FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019
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Military Organizations Plan 24th Annual Memorial Day Program
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
For nearly a quarter of a century, a group of local veterans have held a program to recognize deceased veter- ans. This year, the Veterans of For- eign Wars Post 1339 will host its 24th Annual Memorial Day Program. The event will begin at 10 a.m., at Rest Haven Memorial Park Cemetery, 4615 E. Hanna Avenue, on Monday, May 27th. .
Melvin Collins, Commander of VFW Post 1339 said, “We do this to show our loved ones they are not for- gotten. We are asking family mem- bers, neighbors, and friends to come on out to help us honor our fallen Vet- erans who served or who gave all for our country to remain free.”
On Saturday, May 25th, at 7:30 a.m., Commander Collins will be joined by representatives from VFW Post 10140, the American Legion, the Buffalo Soldiers, the Boy Scouts and Humana Insurance. Commander Collins also extends an invitation to anyone in the public who would like to come out and help place the flags on the graves.
The group will place American flags on the graves that have head- stones depicting them as veterans.
Commander Collins said some of the veterans recognized may no longer have living family members to remember them.
One of those individuals being re- membered this year is Lance Cor- poral John Bell, Jr., a member of the United States Marine Corps.
Lance Corporal Bell was a Tampa native and the only child of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Bell,
MELVIN COLLINS Commander VFW Post 1339
Sr., of East Tampa. He attended the public schools of Hillsborough County.
Lance Corporal Bell graduated from Blake High School in 1963. He was the first casualty from Hillsbor- ough County in the Viet Nam War. He died on August 18, 1965, at the age of 20. “We do this to remember him and many others that followed Cpl. Bell,” Commander Collins said.
Commander Collins hosted the first program at Rest Haven Memo- rial Cemetery on Memorial Day 1997. Over the years, the program has ex- panded adding the names of other veterans each year. This year, the group will place flags on nearly 2,000 graves.
Keynote Speaker
The keynote speaker for the Me- morial Day Program this year is Dr. Miguel H. LaPuz, Director of the VA Sunshine Healthcare Network,
MIGUEL H. LAPUZ, M. D. Keynote Speaker
VISN 8. He was appointed to the po- sition in February 2016.
A native of the Philippines, Dr. LaPuz received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology (Pre-Med focus) in 1978 from the University of the Philippines, Quezon City, R. P., and his medical degree in 1982 from the University of the Philippines, Col- lege of Medicine in Manila.
In 2000, Dr. LaPuz earned a Masters of Business Administration from Wright State University, in Day- ton, Ohio.
A physician who specializes in Nephrology (conditions of the kid- neys), he completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the Brooklyn Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY, and completed his Fellowship in Nephrol- ogy at Long Island College Hospital. He also completed a Fellowship in Molecular Biology Research at the University of Kentucky, in Lexington,
LANCE CORPORAL JOHN BELL, JR.
Kentucky.
Dr. LaPuz was named Teacher of
the Year at Wright State University’s School of Medicine, in 1998. He holds professional certifications by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the Healthcare Leadership Insti- tute.
In his current role, Dr. LaPuz oversees healthcare delivery through a system of eight hospitals (two of which are integrated) and nearly 60 primary care and specialty outpatient clinics; eight nursing homes, and five domiciliaries. Serving a population of more than 1.5 million Veterans, the VISN 8 network is one of the largest in the nation.
For anyone wishing to participate in the flag placing or for additional in- formation, call David Harris at (813) 310-1653; or Commander Collins at (813) 293-8313.