VFW Magazine articles from April 2002

VFW Magazine archives from April 2002

Defending the homeland: President Bush's call for a renewed sense of community service is right in line with VFW philosophy and objectives. (Volunteering for America).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The President says Americans need to "fight evil with acts of goodness." Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) believes we should engage in "a cause larger than ourselves." In short, this all means defending the nation through volunteerism. If there...

Vietnam movie hits the mark. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2002... I had the pleasure of viewing a sneak preview of We Were Soldiers. I agree with "Hollywood Gets Vietnam Right This Time" (February) by Joe Galloway, completely. Watching it made me feel as though I was back beating the boonies. (My tour was two...

Heroines of nursing in Korea. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2002... Re: "`Angels of the Battlefield': Nurses in Korea" (February) by Jean Kirnak. I thought your readers would be interested to know that Ruby Bradley, mentioned in your story, was recently moved to the Prestonsburg (Ky.) Health Care Center. A...

Health insurance piece informative. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2002... "Securing Your Health" (February) by Gary Turbak is the best article I have read on long-term care insurance. It covered all the fundamentals in an easy-to-read fashion. Ray Cowperthwaite Cedar Park, Texas You might be interested...

Blue Star Flag on display. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2002... "Comeback of Blue Star Flags?" in Now Hear This (February) reminded me that my mother flew a blue star flag in our front window from 1966-1970 while I was in the Navy during the Vietnam War. Hopefully, every family member of everyone in the...

Terror and justice. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2002... "Strike Swiftly and Deeply" (February) by Trevor Royle prompts me to believe that maybe there's been enough "striking terror" in the world. Perhaps the "justice in the ordinary sense" that the viceroy ruled out in 1879 is precisely what America...

"Arlington cemetery to expand. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families ).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Beginning in 2003, Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia will develop 66 acres. Parcels totaling 26 acres are being released for graves and a new columbarium in the cemetery's northwest corner. Forty existing acres on the eastern border also...

Cold War/Korean service medals nixed. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Though Congress granted the Pentagon the option to create Cold War and Korean service medals, the Defense Dept. has declined to do so. In the case of the Cold War, it said the Cold War Recognition Certificate is adequate to recognize that duty....

Vietnam education center moves ahead. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families).
April 1, 2002... In February, the National Park Service endorsed construction of an "underground" educational facility on the three-acre site of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. This helps pave the way for passage of the Vietnam Veterans...

Register now for Nashville convention. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... VFW's 103rd National Convention in Nashville, Tenn., 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...

Phony Korean vet held accountable. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Edward Lee Daily, who falsely claimed he witnessed atrocities at No Gun Ri in Korea in 1950, has been charged with scheming to defraud the federal government. Daily was indicted on the charge of wire fraud for receiving $324,911 in VA...

Intellectuals speak out on terrorism war. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Despite the anti-American rhetoric emanating from some campuses last September, 60 prominent academics issued a statement supporting America's war against terror. In a 10-page letter--"What We're Fighting For: A Letter From America"--the...

Founding Fathers irrelevant! (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families).(New Jersey school's history curriculum)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The New Jersey Board of Education, under Commissioner William L. Librera, is attempting to restore the Founding Fathers to their proper place in history. Parents and some legislators insist that the school curriculum include the nation's early...

Iraq could be next terror target. (Security).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Secretary of State Colin Powell told the Senate in February that "a regime change [in Iraq] would be in the best interests of the region. And we are looking at a variety of options that would bring that about." A "senior Administration...

DoD budget hike largest in 20 years. (Security).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... President Bush has requested a $379 billion defense budget for fiscal year 2003. It represents a 14%--or $48 billion--boost from 2002, the largest one-year increase since the Reagan Administration. "Our first priority is the military," Bush...

Domestic anti-terror command proposed. (Security).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... "The Pentagon recommended in February that a new command be established to coordinate military responses to terrorist attacks within U.S. borders. To be called the Northern Command, it would be headed by a four-star general in charge of all...

Helicopter crash kills 10 GIs in Philippines. (Security).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... A helicopter carrying 10 U.S. personnel crashed offshore in the southern Philippines Feb. 21, killing all aboard. They were the first U.S. fatalities in the region since U.S. troops began arriving there in December. The MH-47 Chinook...

Gulf vapor cloud death rate disputed. (Service).(Persian Gulf War Veterans)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... According to recent Veterans Benefits Administration figures, a group of Gulf War vets not considered exposed to low-level chemical agents may actually be dying at a rate 10 times higher than a group that was exposed. The exposures occurred in...

VA burial benefits increased. (Service).
April 1, 2002... A new law gives the families of deceased veterans more money to bury their loved ones. The increase is included in P.L. 107-103--the Veterans Education and Benefits Expansion Act of 2001 (February 2002 "Washington Wire"). For veterans who...

Hepatitis C info available online. (Service).(public service by the Hepatitis C Caring Ambassadors Program)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... For those afflicted with Hepatitis C, a nonprofit organization's Web site offers information about the illness, possible treatment options and improving quality of life for those suffering from the disease. Provided by the Hepatitis C...

Study says Gulf War ills not unique. (Service).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Unexplained ailments, such as those reported by Gulf War veterans, have surfaced at the end of nearly all modern wars, according to a Pentagon-funded study conducted by British researchers. The report, published in the February issue of the...

Pentagon rethinks concurrent receipt. (Service).(veteran benefits revisited)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Though the Pentagon supports the 111-year-old ban on military retirees receiving both their pensions and disability compensation (known as concurrent receipt), it recently decided to study whether the issue is fair to veterans. "If it...

Claims could still pend after vet's death. (Legislation).(Veterans Claims Continuation Act)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... A bill introduced in February would allow family members to continue VA claims when a veteran dies during a pending claim. H.R. 3733--the Veterans Claims Continuation Act--is supported by VFW, which has recommended such a change in The...

Shining examples of VFW volunteerism: members of VFW and Ladies Auxiliary stand out among the best in sharing their time. (Cover Story).(Veterans of Foreign Wars)(Cover Story)
April 1, 2002... Since its 1899 inception, VFW Has had at its heart the spirit of Volunteering. When the Ladies Auxiliary was formed in 1914, that spirit only grew deeper. With April 21-27 as National Volunteer Week, now is the perfect time to highlight Posts'...

Forgotten front in terror war: Lebanon; it has been 20 years, and America has yet to settle the score with Hezbollah terrorists. (War On Terrorism).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... On the grounds of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut stands a memorial dedicated Oct. 23, 2001--1ess than six weeks after the terrorist attacks directly on America. It is a stark reminder of the 241 Marines killed there 18 years ago while attempting to...

Airmen on the ground: special tactics in action: the least known of U.S. special operations units, the 720th STG--combat controllers, pararescuemen and combat weathermen--is perhaps the most unique of the military elite, as it recently demonstrated in Afghanistan. (War On Terrorism).
April 1, 2002... Are you in the same Air Force I am?" The startling question instantly spiked the briefing officer's voice, terminating his update on the progress of the ongoing, tactical air-ground exercise. For long minutes the general had simply stared in...

Lebanese madman leaves trail of terror: the "axis of evil" that President Bush recently spoke of might actually consist of Iran, al Qaeda and Hezbollah. Of the Hezbollah terrorists wanted by the U.S., the "Lebanese Carlos" makes bin Laden look like a "schoolboy." Responsible for the deaths of at least 260 Americans, he has a $25 million reward on his head. (War On Terrorism).
April 1, 2002... He has blown up U.S. embassies and car-bombed a U.S. military barracks. He has hijacked U.S. commercial airliners and murdered Americans. He has kidnapped and tortured a top CIA officer and vowed through terror to drive the United States from...

How kids cope with the specter of terrorism: from games and drawings to fund drives, American children are finding ways to manage in the aftermath of Sept. 11. VFW members can play a vital role by communicating with the young.
April 1, 2002... By now, the images might be familiar--crude, vivid crayon drawings of tall buildings on fire, planes crashing into them and even people falling from the tops. While the graphic nature of the drawings may seem disturbing, experts say they are...

How to get your ancestor's military records: ordering your ancestors' pre-WWI military records is now simpler, but understanding which records to get will challenge your genealogical wits.
April 1, 2002... Finding your ancestors' pre-World War I military records is as straightforward as filling out a roster, yet as complex as devising a battle plan. In 2000, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), chief repository of these...

Delaware post adopts aircraft carrier; Post 5892 of Hockessin, Del., has boosted the morale of the crew of the USS Enterprise. (Post Shows VFW Support For Overseas Troops).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, VFW Post 5892 in Hockessin, Del., immediately mobilized for action. As Post Commander Richard Blevins said, "There has always been a common bond between those serving in the military and the VFW. Members...

Minesweepers: deadly duty in Korean waters: "Where the Fleet Goes, We've Already Been," proudly proclaims the motto of the minesweepers. Indeed, during the Korean War their crews were only 2% of the sailors there yet sustained a disproportionate share of the casualties. (Korean War).
April 1, 2002... With no real navy of its own, North Korea was able to mine its harbors and coasts with impunity. The Russians provided the devices and expertise, and the Koreans used simple junks and sampans to sew thousands of the deadly explosives, often at...

Young entertainers brighten lives of hospitalized veterans; founded in 1976, Re-Creation--a group of volunteer performers--travels nationwide bringing happiness to patients confined to VA medical centers.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... They are young people with a mission, and they travel the length and breadth of the continental U.S. in a van that averages 300 miles per day. Their schedule is demanding, the monetary rewards are meager, and only the tough and talented need...

New leaders learn value of working together; department senior vice commanders and Ladies Auxiliary senior vice presidents met to prepare for top leadership roles. (Learning The Ropes).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The 2002-2003 Department commanders have a tough motto to live by: Service, Honor, Pride. Sr. Vice Commander-in-Chief Ray Sisk has selected this as his theme for the next membership year. "We must work together as a team," said Sisk at the...

Spotlighting post and auxiliary volunteer efforts: April 21-27 is National Volunteer Week and the perfect occasion to honor those people who are generous with their time. For VFW, it is an opportunity to highlight Posts' volunteer initiatives. (VFW in action: VFW members and Posts demonstrating community service).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... One such Post is 1197 in Batavia, Ill. For Valentine's Day, with the aid of Girl Scout Troop 158, the Post mailed 100 America's Sweethearts care packages to overseas troops. Care package items included crackers, chewy fruit candy and gum. ...

Telephone route to member retention: VFW's Membership Department is testing telephone marketing to bring unpaid members back into the fold. (membership).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... If you haven't paid your VFW dues and you get a call from what seems to be a typical telephone solicitor, don't be so quick to slam down the phone. VFW is testing a new approach to urge delinquent members to pony up their membership dues. ...

Jest a minute.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... * Four retired veterans are walking down the street when they see a sign that says, "Veterans Bar." They go in and the bartender asks what they will have, and they all ask for a martini. He delivers the drinks and says, "That will be 40 cents."...

Reunions and claims.
April 1, 2002... REUNION COORDINATORS: To publicize your unit's reunion, fill out the form on page 40 of the February 2002 VFW magazine or print out a form from VFW's website: http://www.vfw.org/magazine/51.shtml. Send to VFW magazine, 406 W. 34th St., Suite...