VFW Magazine articles from August 2003

VFW Magazine archives from August 2003

Living up to VFW's mission: terrorism remains an ever-present threat, and fighting in Iraq persists. The need for a strong veterans voice has never been more vital. (command post).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... World events, as well as domestic policy, have thrust VFW into the limelight once again. Issues of national notoriety have given the organization an opportunity to demonstrate its relevance in today's society. We must not forfeit the momentum...

'Difficult to put down'. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... I have been a VFW member less than one year, but am really impressed with the magazine's quality. I read it immediately upon receipt. It's very difficult to put down before I am finished reading the entire publication. Thank you for putting out...

May cover dignified and uplifting. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... I was awed and saddened, and had pangs of loss and grief, but in the end felt uplifted by the stark simplicity and dignity of the May issue cover photo. Joseph V. Powell, E-Mail

Bob Hope and his awards. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... "A Century of Laughs Courtesy of an Honorary Veteran" (May) may have implied Bob Hope won an Oscar for acting. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave him the following: Silver Plaque (1940), Special Award (1944), Honorary Award...

Besieging Outpost Harry. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... Re: "The Siege of Outpost Harry" (May). I was CO of K Co., 15th Inf., at Outpost Harry. All three rifle platoons were on the outpost. The total number of soldiers there was 150. Some 75% of the GIs of K Company were wounded that night, but more...

War zone duty and combat distinct. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... Let me bring up what may be a controversial issue, but one that needs clarifying. There is a big distinction between serving overseas in wartime and actually seeing action against the enemy. The latter is a combat veteran. As anyone who...

June cover 'larger than life'. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... The cover of the June/July issue is just great and should be made widely available, especially during this 50th anniversary commemoration of the Korean War. A picture like this is larger than life and should not be hidden away where no one...

Editorial on the mark. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... Well done for the Command Post in June. The roundup of thoughts about Korean War veterans is very tasteful and heart-warming. VFW magazine as a whole did a fantastic job covering the Korean War with many articles portraying individuals and...

Last to Die in Korea. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... "Last to Die" (June) left out Air Force 2nd Lt. John Francis Fayman. He was shot down on July 27, 1953, while flying an observation plane as part of the 6148th Control Squadron based at Chunchon. Thomas White, Baltimore, Md. Marine...

Patton's tankers. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... "Chaos Along the Kumsong River Salient" (June) was a fine article, but it neglected to mention that the 140th Tank Battalion was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for the action at Nojonpyong on July 18, 1953. My unit, A Company, was...

Left for dead at the Berlin Outposts. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... "Onslaught on the Berlin Outposts" (June) by Al Hemingway left out the initial surprise counter-attack on July 7 by a squad of F Co., 2nd Bn., 7th Marines. Lacking artillery preparation, it was thrown back. I was wounded and left for dead. ...

Crucial action at Boulder City. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... Re: "The Final Fights: Boulder City and Outposts Dale and Weswiew" (June). As a member of G Co., 3rd Bn., 7th Marines, I remember the ordeal of Boulder City vividly. Boulder City was designated Hill 119; Hill 111 was the 1st Marine Division's...

Casualty update. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... New Marine Corps data received after the publishing deadline allowed me to update the statistical charts for Korea: Deadliest Day (Nov. 30, 1950): 802 KIA; Deadliest Week (Nov. 26-Dec. 2, 1950): 3,628 KIA; Deadliest Month (November 1950): 3,573...

Unit pride on display. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... I read with great pride about Marines of I Co., 3rd Bn., 7th Marines, advancing on Baghdad. Then I saw the photo of the same unit 50 years ago in Korea. Only the wars change, the heroes remain the same. Reg Nelson, E-Mail The unit...

Alamo as a symbol. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... "Visit the Alamo--Despite the Politically Correct" (June) was an excellent article. The road from the Alamo has been a long and tortured one. One day a renewed nationalism south of the border will see a lawyer stand in the United Nations and...

Final taps in Korea. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... Thank you for all the fine articles about the last battles of the Korean War (June issue). As a field bugler with the Service Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I had the unique distinction of sounding the last bugle call on July 27, 1953. It...

GIs grateful for VFW support. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... The soldiers of C Battery, 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery, want you to know that your generous and thoughtful contributions are greatly appreciated by deployed troops. Post 2078 of East Peoria, Ill. (my home Post), adopted us and sent...

Korean War Vet commemorative stamp. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... On July 27, the U.S. Postal Service issued a first-class stamp depicting the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Polls prove American pride. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Here is a sampling of what Americans feel about their country. 67% are satisfied with "the position of the U.S. in the world today." 70% believe America has a "strong influence" on international affairs (compared to 12% in France, for example)....

Constitution museum sorely needed. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... On July 4, the National Constitution Center opened in Philadelphia, where the document was originally conceived. According to surveys, this educational museum is arriving none too soon. Reportedly, only 6% of adult Americans can name the...

American patriot not appropriate! (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Meanwhile, the assault on traditional American values--which 67% of Americans feel are "getting lost"--continues unabated. Reports columnist David, Limbaugh: "The University of Massachusetts at Amherst hired a firm for $10,000 to help design a...

Marine memorial sculptor dies. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Felix de Weldon)(Obituary)
August 1, 2003... Felix de Weldon, famous for his Marine Corps War Memorial, died in June at 96 in Woodstock, Va. Some 100 million visitors have seen the memorial since it was dedicated in 1954. During his career, de Weldon created approximately 2,000 public...

Japan wants to rename Solomon field. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Henderson Field (airport))(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... A consultant group from Japan, hired by the government of the Solomon Islands, wants to rename Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, reports the Washington Times. Now an international airport, the group would call it the chrysanthemum--after Japan's...

History Channel seeking combat vets. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).
August 1, 2003... Through Operation Reunion, the History Channel is attempting to reunite combat veterans with whom they shared a life-changing experience. Specifically, the TV program is looking for vets who have not seen each other since the war: vets from...

Purple Heart recipients get stamp. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... A 37-cent stamp honoring wounded veterans was issued on May 30 at Mount Vernon, George Washington's home in Virginia. It features a photo of the Purple Heart awarded to Marine Lt. Col. James L. Fowler, wounded in Vietnam in 1968.

Muslim solidarity linked to attack. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Army Sgt. Hasan K. Akbar, accused of murdering two American officers and wounding 14 in Kuwait on March 23, was apparently motivated by his religion. Akbar threw grenades into three tents and then shot fleeing officers of the 101st Airborne...

Bob Stump dies. (Service).
August 1, 2003... Former House VA Committee Chairman Bob Stump died June 20 of a blood disorder. He was 76. Stump chaired the VA Committee from 1995 to 2000 and the House Armed Services Committee from 2000 to 2002. A VFW life member, Stump received the VFW...

Panel urges mandatory VA funding. (Service).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... One of VFW's priority goals--full and mandatory funding for VA health care--received support from a presidential task force in May. The two-year report from the President's Task Force to Improve Health Care Delivery for our Nation's Veterans...

Supreme Court OKs Agent Orange suit. (Service).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... A Supreme Court decision in June allows Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange to sue companies that manufactured the herbicide. The court's 4-4 vote returned the case, Dow Chemical v. Stephenson, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd...

Iraq War vets screened for ailments. (Service).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... To help track their health, the Pentagon is screening all returning Iraq War veterans. Within 30 days of coming home, all U.S. troops are required to fill out a questionnaire, meet with health providers and give blood samples in case symptoms...

Gulf War syndrome update. (Service).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Several items concerning Gulf War ailments have surfaced in the news recently. At least 41,000 U.S. troops may have been overexposed to pesticides in the 1991 war. This includes 3,500 to 4,500 who served on field sanitation teams, as...

House approves flag amendment. (Security).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... For the fifth time in eight years, the House approved an amendment to the Constitution that would criminalize the burning of the U.S. flag. The 300-125 vote endorsed a one-line change to the Constitution: "Congress shall have power to prohibit...

GIs in Bosnia exempt from world Court. (Security).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... U.S. and Bosnian officials signed an agreement May 16 protecting U.S. troops and nationals in Bosnia from prosecution by the International Criminal Court. The pact exempts some 1,500 GIs in the Balkan country and bars Bosnia from handing over...

Citizenship eased for immigrant GIs. (Security).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The House approved legislation in June that would make it easier for immigrants serving in the U.S. military to gain citizenship. H.R. 1954--the Armed Forces Naturalization Act of 2003--would cut the waiting time for GIs to apply for...

Assured VA funding proposed. (Legislation).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... A bill pending in the House would provide mandatory funding for VA health care, a VFW priority goal. H.R. 2318--the Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act--would replace the current discretionary funding with a process based on the number...

House OKs disability payment boost. (Legislation).(Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The House unanimously approved a bill in May that would increase disability payments to service-connected veterans and their survivors. H.R. 1683--the Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Act--would boost the monthly checks...

Bills would increase burial benefits. (Legislation).(Veterans Burial Benefits Improvement Act )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Two bills--one pending in the Senate and the other in the House--would increase burial benefits and adjust them each year for inflation. S. 1124 and H.R. 2217--both known as the Veterans Burial Benefits Improvement Act--would "help ease the...

Spirit & pride shine through VFW efforts for troops: across the country, VFW came out to boost morale among deployed service personnel and their families.(Cover Story)
August 1, 2003... As the nation braced itself for the inevitable Iraq War, Posts from Batavia, Ill., to Belleville, N.J., geared up for an important VFW mission: troop support. Yellow ribbons were brought out just in case, Blue Star flags ordered, and deploying...

Jumping into the Iraq War: a daring combat jump under the cover of darkness deposited the 173rd Airborne Brigade into northern Iraq in March. Its presence virtually sealed off the oil-rich region. (War In Iraq).
August 1, 2003... They couldn't drive to the battlefield, so they did what they do best: jump feet first into the fray. Two battalions of the Army's storied 173rd Airborne Brigade conducted a successful, nighttime parachute drop into northern Iraq on March 26....

For the men who 'do the dying': American deaths in Iraq continue to mount. Here is who and how they are dying. (War In Iraq).
August 1, 2003... Pfc. Jesse Hailing arrived in Iraq on May 1, 2003, the same day major offensive operations were declared over. But on June 7, the 19-year-old from Indianapolis found himself in a firefight. While manning the .50-caliber machine gun in the...

'Hidden wounds': on killing in combat: society has a moral obligation to reassure those who kill in war that what they did was right and necessary. This is especially so in politically ambiguous wars like Vietnam.
August 1, 2003... In many ways it is simply too painful for society to address what it does when it sends its young men off to kill other young men in distant lands. And what is too painful to remember, we simply choose to forget. Although the mechanism of...

Traveling the trails of America's military past.(military historic sites, museums, parks, memorials in western United States )(Directory)
August 1, 2003... Exploring the sites of the nation's martial heritage makes for a fascinating historical journey. It is both entertaining and educational for an entire family, but especially so for history buffs. To make your travels more rewarding and...

Do you have an allergy or asthma? Identifying triggers is a key step in avoiding attacks. Here is a rundown on causes, symptoms and remedies.
August 1, 2003... The sneezing and sniffling that millions suffer may come to a close when ragweed season ends in September. But for many others who suffer from allergies or asthma, the symptoms can last year round. And attacks can vary from mild to severe and...

Korean War vets missing from popular culture: America's prime transmitter of cultural "values" has ignored the 1.8 million Americans who served in the 1950-53 war even during the 50th anniversary years.(portrayal of Korean War veterans in literature, film, television, media )
August 1, 2003... The Korean War was a crucial moment in American history. When the United States sent troops to stop Communist North Korea's invasion of South Korea in June 1950, it signaled the nation's determination to check the spread of communism. It was...

Museums highlight San Antonio's military history: two museums at an Army post just a few miles from downtown offer items of interest to everyone.(Fort Sam Houston Museum)(Army Medical Department Museum )
August 1, 2003... VFW visitors to San Antonio will have plenty of things to see and do in the city. For those who are interested in history, nearby Fort Sam Houston offers two museums that anyone would enjoy. Tracing its roots back to 1876 when construction...

Posts continue good deeds in schools. (VFW in action).(participation in youth-related activities, programs )
August 1, 2003... With a new school year only days away, it's important for Post members to begin planning youth-related activities. There are many ways to get involved, ranging from recognizing Jr. ROTC cadets to helping send students to academic camps. In...

Younger vets can offer new ideas for post members. (membership).(Gulf War veteran Matt Klos)(eligibility for Korea Defense Service Medal )(Interview)
August 1, 2003... A Gulf War vet from Illinois provides his perspective on how VFW can attract and retain younger members. Attending your first VFW Post meeting can be daunting. For a Gulf War vet, who is now a life member, the experience proved...

Reunions & claims.(Directory)
August 1, 2003... REUNION COORDINATORS: To publicize our unit's reunion, fill out the form on page 47 of the February 2003 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...