Articles

• In remembrance of Teri Chesser
• The Veterans Echo

In remembrance of Teri Chesser
Andrea Santos, 1:135/382,
asantos@santronics.com

Like many other ladies in Fidonet, I first met Teri Chesser in the privately distributed FEMALE_SYSOP echo. We chatted early, late and often about our families, hubbies, current events and, Teri's favorite preoccuption, cooking. She was an avid participant in several of the cooking echos and I knew if I ever needed a recipe for anything, she was the one to ask. Couldn't have done the Pasta E Fagioli and Wedding Soup without her. ;-)

We shared a mutual interest in columnist Molly Ivins, who coined the name "Shrub" with reference to Presidential Candidate George W. Bush. And whenever I read an Ivins' column from this day on, I'll be thinking about Teri and smiling, and wishing she was here this coming November.

Also have Teri to thank for her support with the creation of my first Fidonet echo, WHAT'S_HOT! After bending the ladies' ears a bit about my idea for a topical news conference, Teri provided lots of encouragement and became one of the first regulars when the conference was backboned. So in memory, my friend, this one will be for you!

Didn't stay in touch as much this year as Gene whisked you away to many wonderful places near and far, but I'm so very happy you both had this time and the experiences to share.

My prayers and sympathies to Gene, your daughter Courtney, and the rest of the family. Teri, may you rest in peace, and know you are fondly remembered by all you touched in Fidonet.

The Veterans Echo
What it is and what it isn't.
By Todd Sullivan
<1:3613/1275/12>

There have been Veterans groups as long as there have been Veterans, some official, some informal, all trying to address the needs and concerns of Veterans of Military Service, all with varying levels of success.

With the advent of FidoNet there have emerged Veterans Conferences. Most of them have been focussed on a particular conflict, be it WWII, Korea, Viet Nam or, most recently, Desert Shield/Storm. Also included might be various missions to Somalia, Bosnia-Hertzogovenia, Panama and Grenada. And those are only the missions undertaken by the United States.

The Veterans Echo, which is Internationally distributed, is not meant to be as narrow in scope. It is meant for ALL Veterans, be they American, British, Russian, German, Japanese or whatever nationality. With the shrinkage of FidoNet we have lost various conferences, almost to the point of non-existence. Something needed to be done, which prompted the formation of the General Veterans Conference, which is EchoListed as VETERANS.

While it might seem to be just another conference for Veterans, this is not meant to be a Veterans Affairs conference, which is beyond even the scope of the Internet, at least for the moment. There are too many issues for one conference to cover. Rather, the Veterans Echo is meant for discussion of the aspects common to all Military Veterans. This includes Veterans' spouses as well, who are just as affected as the Veterans.

This conference is a place where Veterans may talk about their lives before and after their service, their experiences and what they now face afterwards. It is to provide both moral support and /morale/ support for Veterans, giving the sympathetic ears of those who understand what those who have not served cannot or will not comprehend. If anyone wishes to point the way to official Veterans Organizations, they may. However, the conference is not affiliated with any Government, Government organization or Official Veteran's organization.

The conference is not for re-hashing "What might/could/should have beens." There are plenty of those, I have no doubt. The Veterans Echo is more like the Base Exchange, where one Veteran can "shoot the breeze" with others of his or her kind. Consequently, those in active military service obligation will not find this conference to their taste, and it is most certainly off limits to civilians, who cannot understand the Veteran's life and outlook, both of which have been changed forever by military service. Combat Veterans obviously face an even greater amount of change.

The only Conference requirement is that of military service followed by a discharge from same, type unimportant. I personally have an Administrative Discharge--General Under Other-Than-Honorable Conditions--from the United States Navy. Branch and Rank do not matter, but Officers may find the environment a bit hostile, unless they take everything said with a grain or two of salt. The lives led by each are very different, which leads to misunderstandings, at the very least.

The General Veterans Echo is meant to be a place where Veterans can be themselves without the interference of those who have never experienced the world and life we once lived. It's meant to be friendly, and hopefully fun and informative. In this way, it is meant to help former enemies discover friends they never knew they had.