It is with
sadness that
this letter is
sent to announce
the passing of a
great Patriot
and a great
friend to so
many of us in
the struggle for
peace and
justice in our
world. Our
friend and
comrade Dr. Bob
Bowman passed
away at his
Melbourne, FL
home on
Wednesday night
August 22nd at
the age of 78
after a long,
courageous 8
year battle with
cancer. Dr.
Bob, as he was
so lovingly
known to so
many, leaves
behind his wife
of 57
years Maggie
Bowman, their 7
children and 21
grandchildren.
Colonel Bowman,
the National
Commander of the
non-partisan
veterans
organization The
Patriots ...
see
http://www.thepatriots.us
..
whose
motto is "Follow
the
Constitution.
Honor the Truth.
Serve the
People.", was
well known
nationally and
internationally
as the Pentagon
insider who
courageously
blew the whistle
in the early
1980's on the
U.S.
government's
plans to use as
an offensive
"first-strike"
weapon the "Star
Wars" missile
defense system
which he had
directed during
much of the
1970's. Dr.
Bowman's efforts
led to his
self-published
book on the
matter in 1985
entitled "Star
Wars: Defense or
Death Star?".
Prior to
directing the
"Star Wars"
programs while
they were top
secret and
classified
programs during
the Ford and
Carter
administrations,
Colonel Bowman
served as a USAF
pilot with
service in Korea
and Vietnam,
having flown 101
combat missions
as a fighter
pilot in
Vietnam. It was
Colonel Bowman's
war experience
in Vietnam that
led him to work
for peace as a
member of
Vietnam Veterans
Against the War
and later as a
celebrated
member of
Veterans For
Peace, serving
as its keynote
speaker at 4
separate
Veterans For
Peace National
Conventions. As
has been the
case with so
many of our
Vietnam
Veterans, the
cancers that
eventually took
Colonel Bowman's
life can be
traced to his
exposure to the
toxins of the
Agent Orange he
was exposed to
during his war
service in
Vietnam.
The Central
Florida chapter
of Veterans For
Peace (VFP
Chapter 136),
Bob Bowman's
home chapter, is
asking all its
members as well
as members of
Veterans For
Peace and
Vietnam Veterans
Against the War
throughout
Florida and
surrounding
areas to do all
they can to pass
along this
notice to our
brothers and
sisters so that
we can turn out
as many in our
ranks as
possible next
Friday and
Saturday, August
30th and 31st
for the services
in Melbourne,
FL. VFP's
Chapter 136 will
be able to
provide a
limited number
of VFP "Helmut &
Dove" lapel pins
to VFP members
attending the
services.
Please contact
Phil Restino at
(386) 788-2918
or by cell at
(386) 235-3268
for more
information.
Kathy Bracewell
of the East
Central Florida
chapter of
CODEPINK Women
for Peace will
be putting
together a
scrapbook
display of
photos and
written
testimonials
that we receive
from Dr. Bob's
friends and
colleagues.
However the time
is short, so if
there is
anything that
any of you would
like to
contribute as
remembrances
then please
email it to
RestinoP@aol.com
as soon as
possible.
Andy Steele,
host of the
weekly radio
program "9/11
Free Fall" on
http://www.911freefall.com
will be doing
recorded
telephone
interviews today
(Sunday 8/25)
and tomorrow
(Monday 8/26)
only to be used
on his
special broadcast of
"9/11 Free Fall"
this Thursday
8/29 paying
tribute to our
recently
departed friend
and comrade Dr.
Bob Bo wman.
Please
contact Andy
Steele
directly by
telephone at
(315)
335-9644
and/or by
email at
asteele@ae911truth.org
if you would
like to
participate or
know of
someone else
who might.
Note that
Andy Steele
is presently
out on the
West Coast
and thus on
Pacific
Time.
Again, Andy
will be
doing these
telephone interviews Sunday
and Monday
only ... so
your prompt
action is
appreciated.
Please look
below for
specific details
regarding where
to send sympathy
cards,
flowers, gift
baskets, etc. as
well as
dates/times/locations
of the
services. Thank
you.
(1) Sympathy
Cards, Flowers,
Gift Baskets
Maggie Bowman
and/or
Bowman Family
1494 Patriot
Drive
Melbourne, FL
32940
Tel: (321)
752-5955
Please note that
flowers sent to
Beach Funeral
Home and/or Holy
Trinity
Episcopal Church
will be brought
to people sick
and/or
recovering in
local hospitals,
rest homes, etc.
following the
completion of
Dr. Bob's own
services.
(2)
Wake/Viewing/Testimonials
- Friday Aug
30th, 5pm - 7pm
Beach Funeral
Home
4999 N. Wickham
Road
(3) Church
Memorial
Service,
Testimonials -
Saturday Aug
31st, 1pm - 4pm,
followed by
reception
Holy Trinity
Episcopal Church
Pastor Steve
Easterday
50 West
Strawbridge
Avenue
Melbourne, FL
32901
Tel: (321)
723-5272
Fax: (321)
723-6774
Please note
that Dr. Bob
Bowman will
be receiving
a full
military
burial at
Arlington
National
Cemetery in
Washington,
DC at a
later date.
(4) Donations to
The Patriots
Tax-deductible
contributions to
The Patriots can
be made via the
website's PayPal
button at:
Or by mailing a
check or money
order payable to
"The
Patriots" to:
The Patriots, 1494
Patriot Drive,
Melbourne , FL 32940
A big thank you to
Phil Restino!!
Chapter
Co-Chair, VFP
Chapter 136
Central Florida
Veterans
For Peace
ph/fax: (386)
788-2918
cell: (386)
235-3268