Bowl Opinion-November 2016

Written By: bowlingball.com | Written On: Tuesday, November 8, 2016

11/1/2016
By Jim Goodwin
Vets and Bowling Will Always Work Together
For as long as I can remember, our favorite charity has been the Bowlers to Veterans Link. BVL (called Bowlers Victory Legion in those days) was started during World War II by a group of ladies associated with the Women’s International Bowling Congress. They raised an extraordinary amount of money at the time that was spent on ships and airplanes needed to win the war.
Today, our veterans are still at war against terrorists and oppression around the globe that seems never ending, and they still need and appreciate the help of BVL . . . so this Veteran’s Day, or any day, please get out your checkbook and do your part to make sure that the great work of BVL continues. Elizabeth Montanya did a great job for BVL for many years, and when she retired last year, Mary Harrar stepped into her Executive Director shoes. You can reach Mary at [email protected], or visit the website www.bowlforveterans.org. Our friend John LaSpina can also be very helpful in explaining why BVL is so important. John can be reached at [email protected]. Speaking of Veterans, I had the privilege of writing about one of America’s best this month for International Bowling Industry magazine. His name is Christopher Tyll, and he served our country for 14 years in the United States Navy.
If you read the IBI story, you will learn that Chris was one of our elite Navy Seals. He is now a bowling proprietor and restaurant owner in Portland, Maine. Chris and his wife Jen met while attending college at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. They are both members of the 2001 graduating class.
In May of 2001, Chris and Jen were pre- paring to serve their country in peacetime for the next five years; a requirement for all Annapolis grads. They were looking for- ward to the adventures and challenges offered by the Navy. They got married right after graduation, and planned to settle down and start a family when their service careers were finished.
A few months later, everything changed on September 11, 2001. On that day, Tyll knew that he wanted to be more than a Navy Surface Officer, and he immediately applied for a Special War- fare and Seal Training assignment. A year later, he was accepted into the program, and began an intensive 18 months of training. His class started with 250 men. Tyll was one of only 24 that graduated.
While Jen was at sea serving as a ship Damage Control Officer (firefighter) and later as a Flag Aide to the Navy’s first Marine Corp General in charge of a battle group at sea, Chris was beginning what would turn into four tours in Iraq. From the Iraq invasion in 2003 until 2007, they were only together for a total of 60 days in that four year period, but their love and marriage survived.
Chris completed his service in 2009. Jen had been working for a defense contractor in Washington DC. They ended up in the great state of Maine, where they now own two restaurants; and one of them has 10 lanes of bowling.
When I was writing about Chris Tyll, it felt at times like I was writing a Hollywood movie script – small town boy grows up to become American Hero and later a successful business owner and devoted family man. In our world where people are protesting police officers and disrespecting our flag and national anthem, it is comforting to know that there are still good people like Chris and Jen.
I hope you get a chance to read the whole story. If you don’t get the magazine, you can find it at BowlingIndustry.com or on Bowlingdigital.com.
My oldest brother Tony, who passed away a couple of years ago, was an Army veteran who served in the medical corp for more than a decade. His wife Judy was a feisty Army nurse. Their son Michael served in Iraq. His tank battalion helped save Kuwait from being taken over by Saddam Hussein. In my experience, military families have always been very special. They are patriots, and to use Texas language, they don’t like it when ignorant or stupid people mess with our country. We celebrated my 66th birthday on Halloween, and aside from the surprise of being around for so long, we have a lot to be thankful for, and it is largely because of the service and sacrifice of veterans that we are able to enjoy the life that hard work and this incredible country has provided.
Being a boomer, most of my military friends are Viet Nam era, and I often ponder what the young people today would think if our country ever gets into another war where almost 60,000 are lost. The 5000 we have lost in Iraq and Afghanistan are portrayed in the media as pawns in wars that should never have happened. America is often described as an “occupying force” instead of the liberators that they truly are. The point is, I wish I knew how we all get back to the point where we value our veterans and think of them as real American heroes. I suspect that the number of people who agree with this point of view far outnumbers those who don’t, but politically, we seem more divided than ever. Are we really, or does it just seem that way because the mainstream media and a few stupid politicians have chosen to abandon common decency and common sense?
November is an important month for many reasons. Number one is that we will be electing a new president and other lead- ers who may or may not make our country better. I pray that we make the right choices.
Our Thanksgiving holiday is another part of why November is so special. No matter what our circumstances are, we all have much to be thankful for. Living in the great- est country in the history of the world is no small reason; and don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. Every day, we have more opportunity here than we would anywhere else if we are willing to work for what is good and right.
And what gives us this opportunity? - the sacrifices made by our military veterans. Please don’t ever forget that as we honor them on November 11.
Article was posted with permission from Stars & Strikes, America's Bowling Newsmagazine. www.starsandstrikesbowling.com