On Saturday March 26, 2011, we had our first Operation Silver Star board meeting.

In attendance was Richard & Delia De La Cruz, Efrain & Susie Aguirre and Raul & Linda Castro.

The highlights of this meeting were as follows;

Richard De La Cruz was assigned the position of President, Efrain Aguirre was assigned the position of Treasure and Delia De La Cruz wished to retain the position of Founder. The position of Secretary and all director positions will be assigned on our next meeting to be announced.

The board discussed several issues such as non-fund raising and fund raising activities to be pursued, their thoughts on possible changes to our logo, the level of commitment that will be required by our board, directors, staff and volunteers, hospital visitations, case work responsibilities and proper etiquette relating to conducting board meetings.

We also acknowledge the absence of four colleagues, Jim McGrath, Raul & Ginger Madrid and Julie Oyler.

THE OPERATION SILVER STAR DINNER WAS A GREAT SUCCESS.. ALTHOUGH THE NUMBERS WERE SMALL THE IMPACT WAS GREAT AND BEAUTIFUL.. WE RECONNECTED WITH AMAZING FRIENDS AND MADE NEW ONES. WE WERE BLESSED TO HAVE SOME OF OUR FINEST HEROES FROM THE VIETNAM ERA AS WELL AS THE IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN THEATER, ALL WOUNDED AND ALL PURPLE HEART RECIPIENTS. TWO OF OUR HEROES SPOKE ON ON THEIR EXPERIENCES AND FOCUSED ON PTSD AS AN ISSUE THAT SURELY NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT FORWARD AS A PRIORITY TO BE UNDERSTOOD AND ADDRESSED. THE SPEECHES WERE FELT BY EVERYONE IN THE ROOM AND RECEIVED WITH APPLAUSE AND A STANDING OVATION.

OUR RECONNECTION WITH OUR FRIENDS MERI AND SKYLAR FARIA WAS AMAZING AND WILL LEAD TO MUCH BETTER DAYS FOR OPERATION SILVER STAR AND HAS SPURRED A DEEPER PASSION FOR OUR MISSION BY ALL INVOLVED.

ON BEHALF OF OPERATION SILVER STAR, DELIA AND I, OUR OSS BOARD, EFRAIN AND SUSIE AGUIRRE, ELIZABETH ALAGAO AND JENNIE YOUNG, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL WHO ATTENDED THE DINNER AND ALL WHO WERE WITH US IN SPIRIT AND PASSION FOR OUR MISSION... A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO STAN GONZALES FOR HELPING US CREATE THIS EVENT.. GOD BLESS YOU ALL, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS AND GOD BLESS AMERICA.







(ABOVE) HMC AARON SEBERT, U.S. NAVY, IRAQ 2005,
S/SGT JAMES H. GULARTE (RET), VIETNAM 1968 - 1970,
AND HM3 PETER GOULD, U.S. NAVY, AFGHANISTAN 2010,
ALL PURPLE HEART RECIPIENTS



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