VFW Magazine articles from April 2001

VFW Magazine archives from April 2001

Forces for community good: the Ladies Auxiliary and many allied outside groups with which the VFW works exemplify the spirit of civic service. (Celebrating Volunteerism).(Company Profile)
April 1, 2001... A week is set aside each April to promote volunteering nationally. A host of organizations participate in charitable activities all year long, and this provides an opportunity to perform good deeds and to recognize others for doing so. The...

VFW among the best. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2001... As a new VFW member, I have been receiving the magazine for only a few months. But let me say how impressed I am with the quality of the contents. You keep the stories short and to the point, and your selection of historical topics suits me to...

Younger members offer story ideas. (mail call).(Brief Article)(Editorial)
April 1, 2001... In response to the Editor's Note in the February Mail Call, younger members suggested the following for article topics: * Post-Vietnam War operations; * Profiles of Posts that offer activities attractive to younger members; *...

Europe policing its own backyard. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2001... "Time for Europe to Police Its Own Backyard" (February) by John Davis was right on target. The time is long overdue for the establishment and implementation of a European police force. America should not be at the beck and call of Europe. Let's...

Remember task force Crombez. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2001... "Steady Stand at Chipyong-ni" (February) by Gary Turbak forgot the rest of the story. To protect the tanks, we had to ride atop them. We were sitting ducks. L Company suffered about 50% casualties--12 KIA, 19 MIA, 40 WIA and 8 POW. I was among...

More on Hoengsong. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2001... "Massacre at Hoengsong" (February) by Gary Turbak revived memories. Also present there was a Thai medical unit and Dutch artillerymen. As a member of E Co., 2nd Bn., 1st Marines, I came across this tragic sight. Trucks were full of dead who had...

VA survey under way. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(20,000 veterans)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... VA is currently conducting a comprehensive survey to assess veterans needs and services. This is the first such national survey since 1993. It will run through August, and results are expected in 2002. VA contracted Westat, Inc., to...

Korean War Medals: 750 go out daily. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Randolph Air Force Base, Texas )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Special War Medal Action Team at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas ships an average of 750 Korean War Medals per day to eligible vets of the war. More than 25,000 had been mailed by the end of January. Over the next three years (2001-3),...

Libya's dictator not held accountable for Pan Am 103. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The government of Libya, led by Muammar Qadhafi, escaped responsibility in the verdict returned by the international court on Jan. 31. And only one of two Libyan agents who perpetrated the terrorist act was convicted. In December 1988, Pan...

Register now for convention. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(National Convention, Milwaukee )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... VFW's 102nd National Convention in Milwaukee will be here before you know it. Manager of VFW Convention and Meetings Vanessa Kane, CMP, reminds all Posts to support VFW programs by registering members early for $10. The registration fee...

Protect your back from pain. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(North American Spine Society)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... During Back to Health Month in April, the North American Spine Society is sponsoring a national awareness campaign to inform Americans about caring for their backs. Eight different fact sheets are available for free. For more information,...

Vietnam Memorial Education Center. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Vietnam Veterans Memorial Education Center Act in Congress)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Sponsors hope the 107th Congress will approve the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Education CenterAct. The proposed $3 million center at the memorial, which is supported by VFW, will be designed to enhance understanding of the sacrifices made by...

Trimming the defense budget. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Business Executives for National Security report)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... According to the Business Executives for National Security's Tail-to-Tooth Commission, there is plenty of room in the defense budget for cost-savings. "As things stand now, a remarkable 70% of the $300 billion defense budget is devoted to...

Court victory for retiree health care. (Service).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The battle military retirees have been waging for free lifelong health care took a turn in their favor recently. On Feb. 9, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that the government broke a contract with retirees who entered...

Retiree pharmacy program begins. (Service).(military retirees)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Medicare-eligible military retirees will spend less for out-of-pocket costs and pharmacy copayments under a program that began April 1. Participants won't be required to pay enrollment fees or annual premiums. The Senior Pharmacy Program...

Bush seeks $51 billion for VA budget. (Service).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... President Bush wants to increase VA's budget by some $4 billion for FY2002. Released on Feb. 28, Bush's proposal totals some $51 billion and includes elements to improve health care and lower the time needed for processing VA benefit claims....

Bush wants active-duty pay raise. (Security).(fiscal year 2002)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... President Bush announced in February that he will seek a $1.4 billion military pay raise for fiscal year 2002. Of that, $400 million would go for across-the-board raises and $1 billion for incentives, such as re-enlistment bonuses. Defense...

Pentagon to visit POW/MIA sites. (Security).(China and Russia; WWII, Korean War sites)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Officials in the Pentagon's POW/Missing Personnel Office plan missions to China and Russia this year to search for GIs missing from WWII and the Korean War. Two sites in Milin County in the Lang Gong region of Tibet are believed to be...

France honors WWII vets with certificate. (Security).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The French government announced in January that, it will present certificates to WWII vets in appreciation for liberating its country. To be eligible, veterans must have served on French territory, in French territorial waters or in French...

VFW backs GI Bill improvement act. (Legislation).(Montgomery GI Bill Improvements Act of 2001)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... One of VFW's priority goals--an expanded GI Bill--received some significant legislative help in January. Rep. Lane Evans (D-Ill.) introduced, and 127 other lawmakers joined as co-sponsors of, H.R. 320--the Montgomery GI Bill Improvements Act of...

VFW opposes moving Veterans Day. (Legislation).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... A bill introduced in January would move Veterans Day to coincide with Election Day during presidential election years. The move is aimed at getting more voters to the polls. "We very much encourage and support military people--active and...

VA subcommittee chairmen named. (Legislation).(US House of Representatives - veterans affairs)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... House VA Committee Chairman Chris Smith (R-N.J.) announced three new subcommittee chairmen on Jan. 31. Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) will head the Subcommittee on Benefits, Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) will lead the Subcommittee on Health and Rep....

Volunteer--it's the American way: with a century of service under its belt, VFW continues to remain a strong advocate for community betterment.(Company Profile)
April 1, 2001... For a century, VFW members have been champions of volunteering. From the seemingly smallest community service projects to those on a grander scale these "veteran volunteers" have proven their civic pride. When the Ladies Auxiliary was...

Boy Scouts: beacon for men in the making: scouting retains the unqualified support of the VFW--as it has for 85 years. Partners in service to the community and the nation's youth, VFW and BSA continue to work together in the 21st century. Here is a glimpse of what Scouts contribute to America. (Cover Story).(Company Profile)
April 1, 2001... June 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court led in favor of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), saying the private organization has a right to set its own membership and leadership standards. That ruling was in response to the question of admitting publicly...

Dispelling myths about America's role in Kosovo: as VFW Res. 436 states, it is time to develop a plan for the replacement of all U.S. troops serving in Kosovo. As this author shows, an exit strategy for the eventual withdrawal of GIs is perfectly reasonable as well as feasible.(Column)
April 1, 2001... Peace has not come to Kosovo U.S. troops are trying to separate warring factions while acting as social workers and performing other civic duties, with no end to the deployment in sight. "American soldiers are making a difference every day...

Indian war compilation revealing. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2001... "Frontier Warfare Yielded Legendary Veterans" (February) neglected to mention that "Buffalo Bill" Cody had his Medal of Honor restored by the Army Board of Corrections in June 1989. Michael A. Goldware Chairman, Medal of Honor Committee...

VFW Bob Hope float wins trophy: California VFW members exemplify spirit of volunteerism for New Year's Day extravaganza. (Tournament Of Roses Parade).(2001)
April 1, 2001... More than 350 million people around the world watched VFW make its mark on the 112th annual Tournament of Roses parade Jan. 1, 2001, in Pasadena, Calif. A VFW-sponsored float honoring both Bob Hope and the nation's veterans gained notice from...

`Magnificent victory for the 8th Army': enemy forces were poised to gobble up as much of Korea as possible in late April 1951. But the Chinese Communist Spring Offensive was stopped in its tracks by U.S. and allied troops. (Korean War).
April 1, 2001... On April 22, 1951, U.N. forces in Korea held a 100-mile-long defensive line stretching the entire width of the peninsula at roughly the 38th Parallel. Defending this line was the U.S. 3rd, 24th and 25th Infantry divisions in the west, the...

'Imperial War' veterans: contributed to new century. (Famous War Veterans).(Spanish-American War; Philippines; Cuba; 1899-1902)
April 1, 2001... America's two overseas wars--Spanish-American (1898) and Philippines (1899-1902) at the 19th century's turn saw only 200,412 servicemen actually serve in the war zones--Cuba, Puerto Rico and Philippines--yet many left their imprints. ...

Upcoming leaders urged to `Reach Out': Department Senior Vice Commanders convened to find out what's new in 2001-2002. (Departments Get Connected).(Company Profile)
April 1, 2001... If there's one thing next year's Department commanders know, it's to reach out and get connected. Stressing his 2001-2002 "Reach Out" program year, Sr. Vice Commander-in-Chief Jim Goldsmith noted the urgency in connecting with all current...

VFW believes in scouting tradition. (VFW in action: VFW members and Posts demonstrating community service.).(Boy Scouts of America)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... VFW has a long-standing partnership with one of the finest youth organizations in the country--the Boy Scouts of America. Whether it's awarding scholarships and citations or sponsoring Scout troops, VFW does its part to continue the tradition...

Minnesota VFW targets deploying national guard troops for membership: department leaders from Minnesota gave one-year, introductory VFW memberships to Guardsmen from their state leaving for the Persian Gulf. When the troops get back, the recruiting work will begin. (membership).
April 1, 2001... How do Posts and Departments use VFW's national Membership Initiative Program (MIP) to their advantage? The first step is to make a good impression. "We want to introduce young vets to the VFW," said Department of Minnesota Commander Louie...

Jest a minute.(Humor)(Column)
April 1, 2001... * Departure note from a flight attendant: "Thank you for flying XYZ Airline. I hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride." George Kottwitz, Edwardsville, Ill. * A woman bought her first new,...

Reunions & claims.(Directory)(Column)
April 1, 2001... REUNION COORDINATORS: To publicize your unit's reunion, fill out the form on page 51 of the January 2001 VFW magazine or print out a form from VFW's website: http://www.org/magazine/51.shtml. Send to VFW magazine, 406 W. 34th St., Suite 523,...