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THE SILVER STAR FAMILIES OF AMERICA
Steve Newton is a 25-year law enforcement veteran and a former Marine/Navy veteran. He served with the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division. With the Navy, he was with NAVACTS-UK-318 and was called back to active
duty for the first Desert Storm.
Now retired and afflicted with Parkinson’s Disease, he continues to write articles for various law enforcement, military and veteran publications. He is also the author of the "Old Sergeant, the “Old Sergeant and Friends,” and is working on his third book, “The Old Sergeant Rides Again.”
Steve still serves as 3rd Vice President of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and serves as Director of the Law Enforcement Equipment Program and is founder of the Silver Star Families of America. He has been honored with several awards from the American Police Hall of Fame, including the Legion of the Purple Heart and has been nominated as Police Officer of the year by the National American Legion. He has also been awarded the Department of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award by the Secretary of Defense and the Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award.and Lifetime Call to Service Award.
Read more of Steve's bio at: http://www.silverstarfamilies.org/Founders_Bio.html
Padre Janie serves on the SSFOA Board of Directors as Chaplain and has served as National President and Vice President in the past. She is an ordained minister and is dedicated to working with wounded, ill and dying Veterans and their families through Silver Star Families and Cornerstone Church, who are the Guardians of the Silver Star Flag. She heads up the SSFOA VA Hospice program and sends Prayer Blankets in behalf of SSFOA to the VA Hospice patients. The Chaplain Team prays continually for the safety of our Armed Forces and the United States of America and sends Prayer Blankets to troops in Germany, Iraq and Afghanistan, Walter Reed, Bethesda and other VA and Military Hospitals.
Diana Newton is Co-Founder and Treasurer of The Silver Star Families of America and a full-time supporter of our wounded service members. She has volunteered for many organizations that support the Armed Forces of the United States, including the Law Enforcement Equipment Program, The Purple Hearts and the Silver Star Families of America. She is a graduate of Southwest Missouri State University majoring in geography. Her volunteer efforts have been recognized with awards consisting of the Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award, Daily Point of Light Award, Conspicuous Service Medal, and was nominated by SSFOA members for the Above and Beyond Award for her care of our wounded. Diana has also been nominated for the CNN Hero of the Year.
Diana is an SSFOA Representative for the VAVS board and works diligently to offer helpful resources on VA issues.
Along with the hundreds of Banner packages she has shipped, Diana has personally presented many Silver Star Banners to wounded from all wars, including a presentation to a Purple Hearts Chapter in Missouri. Diana was instrumental and participated in the signing ceremony at her state’s capital with Governor Blunt which gave endorsement to the Silver Star Flag as the Official symbol for the wounded of Missouri. In addition, she actively supports veterans by delivering books and supplies to Veteran Homes and V.A. Hospitals and Clinics. She also oversees the Christmas project that reaches a VA in all 50 states, Landsthul and a point in Iraq. Diana spearheaded the Silver Star Day event at Hammons Ball Park which treated the Veterans of Mt. Vernon Home with free tickets to the Springfield Cardinals game.
Diana has a family background of United States supporters. Her father was a Navy veteran and her brother is an Air Force/Army veteran. She welcomes you to join with her as she honors and assist the wounded of our country. Read more of Diana's bio at: http://www.silverstarfamilies.org/Founders_Bio.html
OFFICERS
President
Sunshine Roth
Vice President
Kathy Landess
Sergeant At Arms
Margie Harich
Secretary
Cathy Storey
Treasurer
Diana Creed-Newton
DIRECTORS
Historian and
Public Affairs Officer
Cathy Storey
V.A. Executive Director
and Tribal Liaison
Kathy Landess
Executive State Rep Directors
Sunshine Roth
Advisory Board Liaison
Jay Roth
Chaplain
Padre Janie Orman
STANDING COMMITTEES
VA Committee and Tribal Liaison
Kathy Landess
Silver Star Service
Banner Day Comittee
Sunshine Roth
Silver Star Families Writing Team
Robin Brewer
Incarcerated Veterans Writing Team
Carol Malach
~SSFOA OFFICERS~
SILVER STAR FLAG ®
SILVER STAR BANNER TM
THE NAME "SILVER STAR SERVICE BANNER" IS TM
Copyright 2005-2010
All Rights Reserved
Disclaimer:
The Silver Star Banner and Flag is in no way connected to the Silver Star Medal
The Silver Star Families of America is a non-partisan, not-for-profit charitable organization committed to supporting the United States Wounded Military Members and Veterans from all wars, past and present, and honoring their sacrifice with Silver Star Banners.Content within this web site is the sole property of The Silver Star Families of America"All photos and letters sent to the SSFOA become the property of the organization to be used in any way we deem appropriate." SSFOA reserves the right to conduct the day to day business of the organization as they deem appropriate. State Coordinators and Reps will be chosen at the discretion of SSFOA National Headquarters. SSFOA is an all volunteer 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit public charity organization. See your tax advisor.Questions/Comments Pertaining To This Web site CONTACT US
FOUNDERS
Steven J. Newton
Diana Creed-Newton
Kathy serves as SSFOA Rep for California and also as Executive Veteran Affairs Director. She has worked with Veteran Affairs and assists with VA issues as they arise. Kathy complies a listing of helps and resources to benefit our wounded Veterans.
She has been involved with military support activities for over 26 years. Her support of our troops began as a way to honor her fiance who was KIA in Vietnam. She has had 100s of penpals over the years, ranging from raw recruits up to Colonels, in nearly every service branch.
Besides SSFOA, Kathy belongs to and is associated with: StarSupportMilitary Group, Adopt-a-Soldier/Adopt-a-Platoon, Operation Military Pride, Soldier's Angels and co-coordinate of Operation: Mail Support, a penpal program. She happened to find SSFoA's website by accident and very soon realized that she had to belong to this organization. Supporting our military is important, but supporting/honoring our wounded/our vets is even more so. Kathy feels very privileged to be part of the SSFOA cause and all the wonderful people in the group. Contact Kathy to join Silver Star Families in California.
Sunshine Roth lives in the NW suburbs of Chicagoland. and is the proud wife of Jay who is one of our wounded Vietnam Veterans. They have been married for over 36 years. They have 3 children and 8 grandchildren. Sunshine is the daughter of a Holocaust Survivor from WWII.
Sunshine suffers from Parkinsons but has managed to turn it into a positive experience.
She became involved with SSFOA by being introduced to it by a very good friend. Sunshine is involved in a PTS support group that she moderates with two others. She also has her own prayer group and virtual candle lighting sight. Her goal is for people to recognize and understand PTS. That it is an invisible wound, and that our wounded cannot be forgotten and must be taken care of and know how much they are cared for. Sunshine's desire is to honor our Wounded/Ill and dying veterans of our country and that there should never be a Veteran forgotten.
As a result of her husband's service in Vietnam, he suffers from extreme PTSD, as well as a host of physical ailments which we believe to be caused by Agent Orange exposure.He served in the United States Army Security Agency as a Intelligence Communications Specialist in the bush. He served in Quang Tri, Hue, Phu Bai and all jungles in between.
Sunshine is Coordinator for the Silver Star Banner Day Committee, Co-Director for the State Rep Committee, is a member of the Letter Writing Team, and Fundraising team as well as the online SSFOA support group. Sunshine also belongs to a PENPAL program that writes to incarcerated veterans that has really been a rewarding experience. Sunshine also volunteers at a local church feeding dinner on Sunday nights to about 200 people with their families and volunteers at the local food pantry.
Sunshine considers it an honor to be a part of such a fine organization like Silver Star Families of America. According to Sunshine, they are her family. And we must never forget "Our Kids". They went and fought for us, now we must take care of them and honor them.
®
Silver Star shining for sacrifice, honoring wounded and ill members of our Armed Forces, and bringing remembrance to those so deserving of our thanks.
We will never forget . . . WELCOME HOME!
Margie Harich is a member of SSFOA and serves as SSFOA Maryland Rep, Sergeant At Arms, D.C. Liaison and on the Advisory Board. She is a graduate of South Marshall High School, Benton, Kentucky, Montgomery College - Montgomery County, Maryland and Frederick Community College - Frederick, Maryland. Margie has served her community by working in various occupations including Montgomery County Department of Police . SSFOA has the highest confidence in Margie's abilities as she supports our troops and works to assist wounded, ill and dying Veterans and presents Banners. She will attend meetings in DC to help further their care. Margie is a crafter and has interests such as reading, writing, jewelry making, and most other crafts.
Margie Harich
Sergeant At Arms
Maryland and D.C. Rep
(Counter as of Nov 2009)
Robin is the mother of three (two boys at home 16 and 19, and a grown daughter) and grandmother of three (ages 3, 5 and 9), married a second time for 20 years to Charles a truck driver. Charles would have loved to serve but is color blind and flat footed; loves army movies and action flicks when he's home. Her boys have brought us into the world of sports, and she adopted a middle-school level all-star wrestling team when it foundered. The team competes once a year, the state championship is their qualifier; being all-star means only the best of each weight are invited. They just were granted tax-exempt status by the IRS, yeah! Robin states, "it has been one of the most rewarding experiences - to supply a vehicle where young men can test and challenge the limits of their abilities, facing competition from all over the USA. They begin to realize that there is no limit to their accomplishments; all they need to do is dream and work hard."
Robin has worked in advertising for 11 years for business-to-business client, handling print and digital media needs for several house clients.
She has volunteered over the last ten in their homeowner association (treasurer then president), high school boosters, middle school wrestling team "mom", and wrestling and football concessions/general.
Robin enjoys outdoors activities, family history, learning about renewable energy and alternative fuels, and is researching building methods for what she hope is their dream home. It IS going to be in Kentucky; hope it's NOT a dream....
Carol Malach has been a member of The Silver Star Families of America for about 2 years. During that time, Carol has worked behind the scenes on the Letter Writing Team and helping with fundraisers, and writing to Incarcerated Veterans.
Carol has been writing Incarcerated Veterans for almost 2 years now. Carol gets up early in the morning to start writing everyone that she has to write, and without the use of a computer.
Carol has one son who was apart of Desert Storm and served for 11 years in Saudi Arabia in the Army. Her son's father also served in the military also.
Carol is proud to be a part of this family and receives a lot of pleasure knowing that those Incarcerated Veterans that she is writing to are not forgotten about and that they have someone to write back to.
Carol Malach
Incarcerated Veterans Writing Team Captain
