What's Hot
Newly Elected President, John Vislosky
WHAT
Meeting's
WHO
Membership and Guests
WHEN
May 17, 18,  2025
WHERE
Orange Blossom Hills Country Club, located at 1542 Water Tower Cir, Lady Lake, Florida 32159 in the Villages. 


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Thank you: To John and Gayle Erskine. They coordinated both the Country Club and Hotel to get us a great venue and prices. Moreover, John and Gayle plan to contact all retired SF in the Villages to include non-members, SF widows, etc. and invite them to our meeting. We are anticipating a strong turnout.
When: 17 May 2025 beginning at 1100 Hours until completion Mark your calendars and RSVP to me as soon as possible but before 2 May with a non-refundable $10.00 check per person to hold you, your spouse and/or your guest’s place (See Reservation Cost below). Where: Luncheon will be at the Orange Blossom Hill Country Club, 1542 Water Tower Circle, Lady Lake (The Villages) Florida 32159 (P) 352-751-4501 https://www.orangeblossomhillscountryclub.com Reservation Cost: A non-refundable $10.00 per person to reserve your seat(s). To be paid by check NO LATER THAN 2 May 2025. Make checks payable to SFA Chapter XXI. Mail your check to: John Vislosky 551Honeyflower Loop, Bradenton FL 34212-5001. Price of Meal: Lunch will be ala cart. In addition to the $10 fee per person to hold the room for us, each member and guest can order food, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks directly from the menu. It will be “Happy Hour” so there is a discount on the price for alcoholic drinks. Each member and guest will be individually responsible for paying for their own meals, drinks and tip. For a look at the menu in advance: https://www.orangeblossomhillscountryclub.com/lunch
Hotel Information: For those of you that wish to stay overnight we have negotiated a special room rate from 16 May through 18 May at Comfort Suites, The Villages, 1202 Avenida Central Lady Lake, FL 32159 (P) 352-775-0815. The rate is $120.00 per night plus tax & fees. Use the promotional code of SFA 2025 when booking. IMPORTANT, if you wish to stay at the hotel, you must make your reservation no later than
15 April 2025. You can choose as many (or few) nights as you wish. Hospitality Room: None. Due to alcohol restrictions, the Hotel will not allow a private hospitality room. BUT....the restaurant and bar at Orange Blossom Hill Country Club said we are welcome to stay as long as we wish in our separate meeting area to socialize on 17 May. Meeting Agenda Highlights: We are very excited about this upcoming meeting and to give you good cause to attend, we will have 3 honored guests. o VA Representative, Noel Hike (An honorary Chapter XXI member) and his VA colleague will be there to present updates about the VA under the new VA leadership and Administration. Noel and his VA colleague will have an updated VA PowerPoint presentation on new veteran benefits, spousal support, etc., followed by Q&A. We are so grateful to have Noel as an honorary member and for the two of them to take time to present the latest VA updates exclusively to our Chapter.
 Our other honored guest is Craig Gross. Craig is a Gold star Father of Corporal Frankie Gross, who was KIA in Afghanistan on16 July 2011. Craig is also the voice of Gold star families and has met with the President of the USA, Donald J Trump representing Gold star families. Craig also has been frequently interviewed on all the major news networks about Gold Star family issues.
Craig will be there to speak about his son Frankie, and to offer for purchase signed copies of his newly published book, This Side of their Sacrifice. This highly acclaimed book is a series of personal vignettes about the soldiers, sailors and airmen, and their Gold star families and the ultimate sacrifice made in defense of our County.
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Christmas Party and Year End Meeting 6-8 December 2024
What can I say.... We had a great time! Attendees in the hospitality room and at the luncheon meeting included: Suzie Gaspard, John & Anna Fryer, JD and Shirley Bath, John and Gayle Erskine, Jim Day, Richard and Sheila Whitman, John Johanson, Bob and Janet Johansen, John and Sharon Haralson, Sue Micelli, Don and Diana Augustin, Jimmy Summerhill, Bill Schulz and John and Betty Vislosky.
Below is a montage of all the Proper Villains in attendance:
NEXT CHAPTER EVENTS

Upcoming SFA & SOA Events 2025


8 Mar 2025: 20th SFG(A) Reunion and Dining Out 2025, Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa, 4000 Grand Avenue Birmingham, AL 35226 WEBSITE
29 Mar 2025: 20th Group Reunion, Saturday, March 29th, 2025 – 1200 -1700 hours, 2207 W Baker St, Plant City, FL 33563. POC Chris Bell [email protected]
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6-7 Apr 2025: 5th Annual Spartan Clays shooting event, Special Forces Charitable Trust, Hudson Farm, Andover, New Jersey. WEBSITE
May 2025 (Specific date TBD) - 5th SFG(A) and SFA Chapter 38 will dedicate the Special Forces Vietnam Memorial on Gabriel Field, Fort Campbell, KY. The new granite memorial will consist of the names of the 800 SF men lost during the Vietnam war. https://specialoperations.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2adc2817e604ddbfe991ebff7&id=74154dc516&e=15c7c2590f
1 May 2025: Special Operations Warrior Foundation 45th Anniversary Dinner & Fundraiser. Theme is “Honoring America’s Finest: Their Service, Sacrifice, Legacy, and Families”. 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM at The Gathering at Armature Works in Tampa, FL. Keynote speaker that evening will be Retired Marine Sergeant Kevin Hermening, the youngest hostage taken as prisoner during the Iran hostage crisis. WEBSITE
2 May 2025: 2025 SF Regimental Birthday Ball for the National Capital Region, 1400, Army Navy Country Club, Arlington, VA. Honoring Task Force Dagger. POC Ray Oden, President, SFA Chapter XI, [email protected]
5-8 May 2025: SOF Week – Global SOF, Tampa, FL WEBSITE
17 May 2025: Chapter XXI Spring Meeting and Luncheon, Orange Blossom Hill Country Club, 1542 Water Tower Circle, Lady Lake (The Villages) Florida 32159 (P) 352-751-4501 https://www.orangeblossomhillscountryclub.com
9 Aug 2025: B-2/11 SFG (ABN) Reunion (TENTATIVE), Rachel’s Restaurant, 54 Westchester Dr, Youngstown, Ohio. LEARN MORE WEBSITE
18-22 Aug 2025: 1st SFG(A) Reunion, Helena, MT. Delta Hotels Helena Colonial, 2301 Colonial Dr, Helena, MT
59601.
Activity Brochure Register Here
11-14 Sep 2025: Det "A" Berlin Get Together (any SF Brothers in the AO are invited), Comfort Suites Greenville Airport. BROCHURE
20-27 Sep 2025: 5th Group Annual Reunion. No details yet, but SFA Chapter 38 sponsors the event in Clarksville, TN.
13-16 Oct 2025: SOAR, Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
14-17 Oct 2025: SFACON 2025, Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV WEBSITE
17-20 November 2025: 2025 Modern Warfare Week – Fort Bragg, Global SOF Foundation WEBSITE
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Click on event for detailed information
  • Ginny Billingsley: Lisa Curtice wrote to me about her mother Ginny Billingsley: Currently she has been moved to a nursing home and has transitioned to Hospice care. I do not believe I will be able to bring her to any more meetings, or weekends, as she needs more care than I can provide. Please let everyone know how very much she loved getting to see everyone, especially after Dad
  • passed. She misses everyone and hopes that everyone is doing as well as the can. If anyone asks, she can be reached at her number, 386-295-5881.
  • Phil and Joette Devon. Phil is doing better and continues to fight the good fight. Prayers continue.
  • Ray and Judy Drewry: Please keep both Ray and Judy in your thoughts and prayers.
  • Sheila Whitman: Please provide prayers.
Please notify any of the Chapter Officers of any illness, or misfortune of any of our members/spouses/families.

Taps

Recent Deaths of Chapter XXI Members, or Family Member's
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COL(R) Rodney D. Burns
March 14, 2025 (Age 78)
Huntsville, Alabama
Special Forces & MACV-SOG
SOA Mem# 1039
SFA Chapter 21, Mem# M-1086

Retired Colonel Rodney D. Burns, age 78, recently of Huntsville, AL, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 14, 2025, surrounded by loved ones. He was born on September 18, 1946, in Lakeview, MI, to Milton Eugene Burns and Martha Carolyn Fleck Burns of Six Lakes, MI, and subsequently grew up in Breckenridge, MI. Rod dedicated his life to service, both in the military and to his family and friends.

A true patriot and leader, he was a respected member of the United States Armed Forces for 27 years. Rod served with distinction as an Operations officer in the 25th Infantry Division, 1st Infantry Division, 1st Battalion Commander of the 11th Infantry Division, San Antonio District Recruiting Command, Headquarters U.S. Army Combined Arms Center in Ft. Leavenworth, KS, 101st Infantry Division, including a tour with the Special Forces 5th, 7th, and 10th Airborne Divisions, and Military Assistance Command, Vietnam - Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) during the Vietnam War. He served as commander of Joint Security at the United Nations Command Security Force in Pan Mun Jom, Korea; he was the commander of CENTCOM at MacDill Air Force Base, FL; he created and implemented the United States Central Command Emergency Action Survey Team, caring for the USAR families in Greensburg, PA, affected during the Gulf War, and was thereby distinguished by meritorious service as the lead planner and major contributor to several real-world crisis action planning groups, and developed a vitally important, compartmented plan for the United States Central Command; and he was commander of the 99th U.S. Army Command Center at the Charles E. Kelly Support Facility in Oakdale, PA. Throughout his career, Col. Burns received numerous awards and commendations, such as the Silver Star, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Bronze Star, and the Superior Unit Award, along with many more.

Upon retiring from the U.S. Armed Forces, Rod worked as a Timber coordinator for the Miller Amish Lumber Co. out of Punxsutawney, PA, was a project manager for an oil company based out of Thailand, and drove a school bus for Bethlehem Center School District, PA, for 14 years, before retiring in Dunnellon, FL. He also continued as a club member of the VA, the VFW, the American Legion, and the Special Forces Chapter 21.

Most Significantly, Rod was a devoted husband to Karen Manson Burns and a cherished father and grandfather to his children and grandchildren. He will be remembered most for his wisdom, fierce devotion, and outpouring of love. Rod is survived by his wife of 51 years, Karen Burns, his son, Clif Burns (Kim), and two daughters, Michaelle Hollingsworth (Tracy), and Kira Broadwater (Paul), as well as his sister, Carolyn Dombroske (Mark), 8 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Milt and Martha Burns, and his brother, Allan Burns.

Military honors will be rendered at the graveside in Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, TN, on Monday, April 14, 2025, at 10:00 AM. A Memorial Service will also be held at West Huntsville Baptist Church on Monday, March 31, 2025, at 10:30 AM.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Special Forces Association [https://www.specialforcesassociation.org/donate/]
or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Rod's memory [http://fundraising.stjude.org/goto/Fortheserviceloveandsacrificeofasoldier].

SOURCE:  https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/huntsville/name/rodney-burns-obituary?id=57932263


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ALL THE WAY
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THEN
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HALO
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NOW
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Old Soldiers Never Die

There is an old cookhouse, far far away

Where we get pork and beans, three times a day

Beefsteak we never see, damn-all sugar for our tea

And we are gradually fading away.

Old soldiers never die,

Old soldiers never die

They just fade away.

Privates they love their

beer, 'most every day.

Corporals, they love their stripes, that's what they say.

Sergeants they love to drill. Guess them bastards always will

So we drill and drill until we fade away.


Special Forces Soldier

I was that which others did not want to be.

I went where others feared to go, and did what others failed to do.

I ask nothing from those who gave nothing, and reluctantly accept the thought of eternal loneliness... should I fail.

I have seen the face of terror; felt the stinging cold of fear; and enjoyed.

I have cried, pained, and hoped, but most of all, I have lived times others would say were best forgotten.

At least someday I will be able to say I was proud of what I was...

A Special forces Soldier.


                                                                                                George Skypeck


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A point to ponder
March, 2025 Newsletter