Chiropractor Dr. Doug Reilly adjusts a fellow soldier (above) during his time in Iraq.
Doug Reilly and his fellow soldiers pose (below) with a Philadelphia Eagles banner in Iraq.


Bucks County chiropractor found his civilian job
was a great help to his fellow Army servicemen.

By Bob Staranowicz
Correspondent

“When one of my buddies serving with me in Iraq hurt his back, it was a very lucky day for me.”

Doug Reilly was serving in Iraq at a prison camp near Tallil when a fellow soldier hurt his back. Doug was not only bored but he was uncomfortable with his duties of “counting Iraqi dinar found on Iraqi prisoners, cataloguing their possessions and moving the prisoners throughout the country.”

So when his hurt friend came to him, Doug, who has a Chiropractic practice with his wife, Anne, in Plumsteadville, was very eager to help. He cured his buddy’s ailments.

This act of camaraderie resulted in Doug being able to use his talents in the war zone. His “patient” told his colonel about Doug’s talent and the colonel then allowed Doug to practice his chiropractic talents for up to two hours a day. This was an unusual opportunity since the Army did not formally recognize chiropractors. There have been some advances in that thinking by the military by way of the Chiropractic Health Care Demonstration Project. Doug feels that chiropractic care is vital to the combat readiness of our men and women serving our country.

For those soldiers who need chiropractic care, they must pay out of their own pockets.
Doug was born in Somerville, N.J., but currently resides in Plumsteadveille. He attended Palisades High School in Kintnersveille and went on to earn his undergraduate degree at Lock Haven University. He later attended Palmer School of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa.
Doug joined the Army in 1996.

“I joined the Army because it was my patriotic duty,” he said.

He also wanted to take advantage of the educational opportunities of serving in the military. Doug’s service was mostly as a reservist. Doug was on active duty for about a year and a half during the war, three of those months were pre-war, followed by a year in Iraq and three months in the states after leaving Iraq.

Doug’s main duty was “driving all over Iraq, transporting prisoners in buses and dump trucks” before the United States was fully engaged in Iraq.

“We were part of an advance party looking for a convoy,” he said. “We had to hitchhike from Kuwait to the Tallil Airbase.”

This was probably the most dangerous time for Doug while serving in Iraq.

“We did get shelled on a fairly regular basis while we were in Baghdad at the High Value detainee facility,” he said.

Similar to how most troops serving overseas feel, Doug missed his family and friends the most. But, as a doctor whose purpose is helping people, he missed his practice and his patients, as well.
Doug left the Army as a staff sergeant and was also awarded a Bronze Star for his service in Iraq. He would like to return to Iraq someday — “If my wife would let me,” he points out.

Doug returned to his practice, Reilly Family Chiropractic, upon his return to the U.S. and picked up right where he left off, with his love of family and involvement in sports and helping his patients. After all the horrific food in Iraq, he once again was able to enjoy a good meal. Doug continues to serve his patients as he served his country with purpose and the enjoyment of the accomplishment of helping those who need him.

Doug is also of member of Doylestown VFW Post 175 and is the current Commander of American Legion Post 210.

Labels: Army, Doylestown, Iraq

1st Lt. Todd Hamski (right) with two members of his unit in Iraq.

Lower Makefield Twp. police officer provided protection
for Iraqi judges, earning a Bronze Star for his service.

By Matthew Fleishman
BucksLocalNews.com Editor

Last July, Todd Hamski called it a shock when he was called up from the reserves and told to head to Fort Indiantown Gap for a medical evaluation, despite having already served in Egypt as security for NATO Forces, and serving on Border Patrol in New Mexico.

Hamski, a 1st Lieutenant with the 28th MP Company of the Pennsylvania National Guard, was called into service after a lieutenant who was scheduled for deployment developed cancer.

“They called me out of the blue and said ‘get your stuff ready,’” said Hamski.

Hamski was the second Lower Makefield Township police officer to serve in Iraq since the war began in 2003. Officer Tim Reeves was the first.

After being called up, Hamski spent less than three months at Fort Dix, before being sent to Baghdad, Iraq, where Hamski worked on a protective service detail providing protection for Iraqi judges, and for his service, he was awarded a Bronze Star.

“They are just starting to get their court system up and running, so naturally, the judges are targets,” said Hamski.

Hamski said that not only protecting himself, but also having to protect the life of another individual was a very stressful way to serve his tour of duty in Iraq.

“I was always on edge over there,” said Hamski. “It’s very stressful, and it will wear you down really quick. It’s hard because you have to keep from falling into a patter, because that is when you get into trouble. The people we are fighting are really smart.”

In addition to protecting Iraqi judges and officials, Hamski also helped train Iraqis to work in protection details.

“They take a real pride in what they do,” said Hamski. “Have a job like that is really high in their culture.”

While in Iraq, Hamski fought off homesickness by staying in touch with his fellow police officers through e-mail and using phone cards that they collected and shipped to him.

“I would call the department just to say ‘hi’ to everyone,” said Hamski. “I would even go on the Web site to read the police blotter just to see what was going on.”

Despite the current picture being painted by the numerous cable news media outlets, Hamski says the climate in Iraq is certainly changing for the better, but that “it is going to take some time.”

“We are really making a difference over there,” said Hamski. My friends who served over there before me would say that you couldn’t go down certain roads, but now we can travel down those roads.”

While the Army, as a whole, is making a difference in terms of the safety of the country, Hamski said that the individual soldiers are making a difference in the lives of the children in Iraq.

“Kids come up to you and if you hand them a stick of gum, they look at you like you gave them the greatest thing ever,” said Hamski. “You certainly don’t take things for granted anymore because those kids over there have nothing.”

Hamski’s tour of duty was cut short after six months because what was a supposed to be a trickle of new reserves heading to Iraq turned into a entire group of soldiers coming over all at once.

Upon his return to the Lower Makefield Police Department, Hamski presented the Lower Makefield Township Board of Supervisors with a flag that flew over Operating Base Grizzly in Iraq.

While serving in Iraq changed his life, Hamski came back from his tour of duty and made another life-changing decision, proposing to his girlfriend, Colleen.

Labels: Iraq, Lower Makefield, National Guard

Maj. Col. Claude Donaldson (above, right) gets a promotion to lieutenant colonel by Col. A.E. Blewett. Today, Donaldson (below) volunteers for the AARP.


A softball game at Fort Dix cost this Bucks resident
a chance at combat, but led him to his future wife.

By Peter Ciferri
BucksLocalNews.com Editor

Claude Donaldson wanted to see battle.

His family had a long history of air and infantrymen in both World Wars, and when he joined the Army just before the Korean War, the Chatham, N.J., native and current Lower Makefield resident expected to be an infantry platoon leader.

That path ended one afternoon in 1952, when during a softball game at Ft. Dix, a fellow solder slid into third base spikes out, breaking Donaldson’s leg just above the ankle and taking him out of commission for a year.

“I had volunteered to go to Korea because I knew I wanted to stay in the service,” Donaldson remembered. “I would have liked to have had a chance to see how I would have done.”

The broken bones put Donaldson in a cast for a year. By the time he was healed and on a plane for Korea, the cease fire had been called and the war came to a close.

Donaldson explained that while he was relieved to not face combat in Korea, he knew the military would be his life’s work and felt it would be appropriate to have that experience.

“I felt that I needed to get some combat experience, but as things worked out, I didn’t get that opportunity,” Donaldson said. “There but for a broken ankle.”

Claude Donaldson joined the Army in 1948, starting a 21-year career that would land him in Hawaii, New York, Virginia, Germany and Japan, spending much of his time working at a military prison and an intelligence office.

But perhaps his biggest break was the one in his leg, as the broken bones that kept him out of Korea also led Claude to his future wife.

Donaldson admits that had he gone to Korea, “it was a strong possibility that I would have gotten my butt handed to me,” but after his injury, the eager soldier was transferred to a base in Arkansas.

One evening, he and a fellow soldier were setting up a double date when Claude’s date was forced to cancel. After a little digging, his friend remembered another girl: Helen Turner. The group went out for some evening drinks and Claude came away with a marriage that would last over three decades and give him four children.

“There were a lot of things that were kind of ironic,” Donaldson reflected.

Claude continued in the Army after the Korean cease-fire and was just settling down with his growing family in Hawaii when he got orders to report to Vietnam.

Entering the country, Donaldson was greeted with the sober reality of war. His transport boat was surrounded by armed guards and helicopters — the only way it would reach port safely. Later, his transport bus broke down, leaving a crew of soldiers in the middle of the jungle with weapons, but no ammunition.

“The only person armed was the driver,” Donaldson recalls.

Luckily, these were among the closest calls for Donaldson.

In the intelligence sector, Donaldson’s office helped train the spies and gather the tips that would help U.S. forces infiltrate Vietnamese camps. And while his job was in an office, his unit still remained vigilant.

“There’s always the possibility that something could happen,” Donaldson said.

One day, a truck loaded with explosives rammed into a Vietnamese police station right next to his barracks and grenade attacks on his unit’s Jeeps were common. Around 30 of his men were injured that way.

Just a few more close calls in the life of Claude Donaldson.

His last close call came when he left Vietnam. On his ride to leave the country, Donaldson passed a Jeep that had recently been attacked. Only later would he find out that his replacement — who survived — was riding in that very Jeep.

“They had some horrendous battles with the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese,” Donaldson said, explaining that the Tet Offensive started shortly after he left. “I can’t say if we’d have been there still what would have happened to us.”

Back in America, Donaldson worked a few more years at his old post in Hawaii before retiring from the service in 1969.

Helen passed away in 1988 and Claude has since reacquainted and married an old high school friend. Today, he volunteers for the AARP, teaching driver’s education refresher courses and helping thousands of seniors prepare their taxes. But most of all, Donaldson is proud of his four children — two doctors, a lawyer and an engineer — who, peppered across the country, always give him somewhere to go and grandchildren to visit.

“It’s been an interesting lifetime. I’ve been real happy.”

Labels: Army, Lower Makefield

Joseph Pavone’s artwork helped beautify Bristol, but before that, he was a U.S. Armed Forces photographer in Germany.

Bucks County artist and sculptor got his inspiration
while stationed in Germany during the Korean War.

By Tim Chicirda
BucksLocalNews.com Editor

Many people in both Bristol Township and Bristol Borough are familiar with the great artistic mind of Joseph Pavone, but many do not know that he is, in fact, someone who needs to be recognized for his military history, as well.

Pavone is known for his work as a sculptor and artist. His creative abilities have helped to beautify both the township and the borough. But, before all of that, Pavone was a member of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Corp. Joe Pavone was drafted into the Korean War under the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Pavone was a MOS-Army Photographer in Germany.

Pavone’s career in the military began with training in a nearby Fort Monmouth, N.J., photo school.

Some of the things that Pavone photographed were installations that were moved behind the Rhine River in Germany. Pavone used a 4x5 speed graphics camera, a model primarily used in the 1940s.

While in Germany, Pavone’s real interest took shape. While stationed in Karlsruhe, Germany, at the foot of the Black Forest, Pavone studied art under famous oil painter Helmut Meyers.
While continuing his civic duties, Pavone was exposed to an extremely creative environment, where he learned and began building inspiration for his later projects.

“I was always interested in art ever since I was a baby. [I] used to draw ever since I can remember,” said Pavone, “I drew my way through school.”

After arriving back home, the 1945 Bristol High School graduate began painting and sculpting. However, when the 1990s rolled around, Pavone really began to make Bristol Borough and Township enriched in beautiful history.

In 1991, the Bristol Lions Club erected the Joseph R. Grundy Monument outside of the Grundy Library. The head and shoulders of Bristol’s most important historical figure stands proudly with his back to the Delaware River, making it a beautiful scene.

Grundy was a United States Senator, Bristol Councilman, wealthy industrialist and philanthropist. Grundy always believed in local involvment in small towns, something surely followed by Pavone.

Another important historical figure honored by Pavone was Christopher Columbus in 1992. In fact, Pavone commissioned the Columbus 500 Foundation, honoring the five-century anniversary of the famed 1492 voyage to America.

The monument, created by Pavone, is in place to honor Italian Americans who followed Columbus’ link from Europe to America. It stand among all of the beautiful monument along the Borough’s wharf.

Pavone’s most recent and veteran-based monument stands in Bristol Township, directly outside of the Municipal Building.

Unveiled in 2006, the Bristol Township War Dog Memorial has attracted many war veterans honor not only fallen soldiers during war time, but the pet companions who were very important in many wars.

According to Bristol Township, over the course of our nation’s military history, tens of thousands of War Dogs served during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf war, and also more recently in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

American Wsar Dogs are credited, not only with companionship, but with courageously saving soldiers’ lives. It is estimated that around 10,000 U.S. and allied lives were saved during the Vietnam War alone.

The dogs tracked, tunneled and found mine and booby traps, among many of their other duties.
Pavone’s work did not end there though. Pavone is also credited with the design of many other things in Bristol Borough, including part of the newly renovated Bristol Borough Hall and the famous “Welcome Friend” sign upon entering the borough.

“Welcome Friend” has became the motto and a staple of Bristol Borough.

Anyway that Pavone can give history back to the people of his home town is great deed in his eyes. Pavone is a member of the Memorial Foundation and the Bristol Cultural and Historical Society in Bristol Borough.

The 1969 Bristol Borough Citizen of the Year still resides in Bristol with his wife Phyllis. All of Pavone’s children live nearby as well.

Pavone continues to live through the words of one of his inspirations, Joseph Grundy: “If a man does not take pride in his own town, he isn’t likely to give a rap for his country.”

Labels: Army, Bristol, Germany, Korea