by Reed Kernel | AuxBeacon News Contributor
[Editor’s note: The author isn’t wrong. Thank you for your contribution.]
It is that time of year again, and your AuxBeacon writers have failed to remind everyone about past condemnation of Civil Air Patrol’s use of Wreaths Across America to raise funds to cover their losses. The moaning and groaning about this practice does continue privately even if captalk has clamped-down on open discussion.
Lt Col Jeff O’Hara, former Vice Commander of Georgia Wing Civil Air Patrol, seems to have delivered the strongest condemnation of this national scam. A scam that diverts discretionary funds away from those living veterans in need and to a feel good self-promotional photo opportunity.
On the topic of Wreaths Across America / Worcester Wreaths Inc…
No thanks. Notwithstanding the sincerity of many of our members that they’re doing an honorable thing (for profit), I feel as if we’ve been duped into being the DoDs version of street corner Moonies. I don’t like what it is doing to us ethically, either.
http://www.give.org/charity-reviews/national/veterans-and-military/wreaths-across-america-in-columbia-falls-me-19798
https://www.yahoo.com/news/donate-wreaths-across-america-lesson-003930549.html
V/r,
SPAM
After his bold but accurate statement, Lt Col O’Hara was not promoted to Georgia Wing Command. He may have sought more time with his family as the CAP-Talk internet forum enables him to more efficiently lead all Civil Air Patrol members across the entire United States.
Over the past three years, Charity Navigator, Maine Beacon, Times Record, Bangor Daily News and other sources have revealed the following facts on Wreaths Across America:
• Civil Air Patrol’s partnership with Wreaths Across America was a project conceived by former National Commander Antonio Pineda, who was removed and stripped of rank in 2007.
• 74% of every dollar Wreaths Across America spent went to the for-profit firm owned by Morrill Worcester and family.
• The practice of a charity paying substantial monies to a business owned by several of the charity’s board members is atypical in comparison with more respected charities.
• Wreaths Across America doesn’t have a whistleblower policy or a conflict of interest policy in place to help ensure it is behaving ethically.
• The consumer website Cheat Sheet included Wreaths Across America in a list of 15 nonprofits that “Probably Aren’t as Wholesome as You Think.”
• Civil Air Patrol members and hangers-on living in Maine have been found to be vested in properties from which these wreaths are being sourced. Thus, Jeff O’Hara’s “street corner Moonie” cadets are volunteering to help make money for people higher up in their Civil Air Patrol Ponzi Scheme.
• Migrant labor working to make Worcester Wreaths was sexually harassed and then fired by the contractor when they exposed the abuse.
Earlier this 2019, Maine’s Ellsworth American ran a story by Maxwell Hauptman that exposed the low-rent quality of management in the labor chain of Worcester Wreath Company.
“the labor contractor kept insisting or insinuating to have sex with the women, offer them alcohol and showing up unannounced at their dormitories.”
Civil Air Patrol’s former National Historian Frank Blazich was once caught squawking in attempts relate the Worcester Wreath Company charity to teaching living history education.
Frank Blazich Squawks 7500
Related Stories:
• Jeff O’Hara Georgia Wing Vice Outs Wreaths Across America
• CAP Members Critical of Wreaths Across America
• Member Seeks to Remind on Wreaths Across America
• Should You Donate to Wreaths Across America? A Lesson in Charitable Giving
You people have some sick bromance with Jeff O’Hara? Or are there [females] on your staff.
[link redacted]
Wreaths Across America reminds me of Elizabeth Holmes.
The imagery of the cadets and seniors in blue uniforms laying green and red wreaths on grey tombstones is far too beautiful for the details of who is profiting exclusively in this sham to get in the way of someone using the photogenic nature for their political gain. Stop wasting your time.
To have only one family profit from this because they arranged the scam with Civil Air Patrol’s Pineda is sickening to me. That few others see this, is also very sad.
I gotta say, with the exception of old farts like Jeff O’Hara who you idiots keep trying to push on us as some great hero, he’s not, I don’t think CAP members know wtf Rev Sun Myung Moon was.
Recent news shows that CAP Seniors are more into the cream of the crop of Sum Yong Guy.
[redacted]
When News of the Force was active, Amanda wrote a good piece exposing how Civil Air Patrol is a Ponzi Scheme. The members were too [redacted] stupid to understand that CAP is not a money Ponzi scheme, but one of contacts and PR recognition on the backs of those volunteers motivated to help the cadets.
Turns out that those writing in to AuxBeacon three years ago were not wrong in their assessment of Frank Blazich. He truly is a devious little [redacted] of an [redacted]. While keeping my distance, I’ve watched others get stung.
Notice that there were no medals for Frank at this year’s conference.
How many, for instance, requests for I.G. investigations of sitting Wing Commanders have been requested of the National Commander, only to have the National Commander (Mark Smith) sit on it and not respond in any manner? I have a handful of them, myself, with Certified Mail Receipts, but no response from Wing, Region, or National.
A friend with ties to Congress remarked: “Any federally chartered organization that can’t follow its own regulations requires close supervision.”
Another friend with ties to Congress remarked: “After a decade of power plays at the Board of Governor’s level resulting in a watering down and replacing of those possessing oversight determination with those who substitute regulations with favors deserves and needs to be reorganized, restrained and terminated”.
Only the TIP has been exposed. Yet so many CAPers are echoing the words of the crew of the Titanic: “Its only water… we drink it and bathe in it daily, the ship is sinking.”
I remember the first time I mentioned introducing the concept of TRANSPARENCY into the CAP organization.
You’d thought I’d yelled “Pregnancy” at a convention of nuns. (If I’d yelled it at a convention of priests, no one would have lifted an eyebrow. Its all about what rocks your boat).
We know what rocks Mark Smith’s boat. He is a toxic Air Force commander.