4 august 1, 2006 2006 Veteran's Pow-wow Pullout Smoke Signals
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KTiiifX " "iC" Showcase As many as 150 dancers, most in regalia (at i ' V V;V
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time when as many as 275 Veterans were honored with the 2 1 IS I i ill
f ' 'ii ' Warriors' Medal of Valor on Saturday after Grand Entry. 1 1 Wf ITVl LJ
Veterans' Advocate Diane Cilenti Honored By Local Heroes, Husband Tom Accepts
By Ron Karten
Diane Cilenti, local Vets advocate
who passed on recently at 56, also
was honored at the pow-wow. Her
husband, Tom, received her honors.
A group of motorcyclists gave $600
for 60 Medals of Valor in her name.
"It's not over till the paperwork is
done," said Jim Willis, state Direc
tor of Veterans Services, "and Di
ane made sure that the paperwork
always got done."
"She was my secretary when we
started the Veterans' Memorial,"
said Tribal Elder Marce Norwest.
"She had a day job, but like my
wife says, her job didn't end at 5
o'clock. You couldn't find a more
dedicated person."
"Her success rate was phenom
enal when it came to getting vets
benefits," said Billie LaBonte.
"Headstones are there today be
cause of her."
Gene and Billie told a story of a
Vet coming to a Veterans Admin
istration hospital in a substandard
wheelchair. The paperwork said
he could walk but he had no legs.
Cilenti made sure he left with a
regulation wheelchair.
"Diane loved chocolate," said
Billie. "So Gene gave her this cup
filled with chocolate." She held up
the cup. "She made Gene look so
good, and you know how she did it?
It's on this cup." The words on the
cup read, "Nag Nag Nag."
Tom Cilenti, Diane's husband,
brought the cup back. "He can't
sleep at home since she's been
gone," said Billie.
"At Diane's funeral, Gene took an
eagle feather from his beret and put
it in her coffin," said Billie.
At the pow-wow, Gene said, "We
ended up with an eagle feather. It
floated up to the announcer's stand
and we don't know where it come
from. We couldn't account for it."
"We know where it came from,"
said Billie.
"It wasn't the same feather," said
Gene.
We Remember Her Tom Cilenti accepts honors on behalf of his wife, Diane,
during a presentation by Oregon Veterans Affairs Director Jim Willis. Cilenti was
honored for her tireless effortS"on behalf of all local Veterans.