VFW Magazine articles from February 2000

VFW Magazine archives from February 2000

Crisis in military recruiting: it is time the nation acknowledged the underlying causes of the youthful lack of interest in joining the services. (Forces For The 21st Century).
February 1, 2000... During 1999, newspaper headlines were filled with stories about military recruiting problems. And they were correct to focus attention on this critical issue. Among those of primary recruiting age, only 12% are now inclined to enlist in the...

December issue hits home. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2000... I thoroughly enjoyed the December issue, particularly the articles concerning the Panama Canal, George Washington and the Army-Navy Game. It should be noted that the game in 1944 was played in Baltimore. I enjoy every issue of the magazine...

Completing the KIA list. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2000... Editor's Note: In response to "Foes in Sport, Friends in War" (December), several readers offered corrections and additions to "Academy Football Players Killed in War": * Richard G. Inman--Korean War * David H. Swenson--Korean War ...

Disease in the Panama Canal. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2000... Re: "Panama Canal: Monument to the Human Spirit" (December). Clarification is necessary regarding eradication of the mosquito menace in Panama. Carlos Juan Finlay, a Cuban physician and epidemiologist, was the discoverer of the mosquito vector...

Washington more than a military man. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2000... "George Washington: `Greatest Character of the Age'" (December) concentrated almost exclusively on Washington's military career at the expense of his presidency, which was vital to the nation. Washington's support for a federal convention...

Kuwait and Korea overlooked. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2000... Command Post (December) failed to mention two critical duty stations in the world. Korea and Kuwait are operational theaters focused on containment of a real, viable enemy. This is unlike the peacekeeping operations in the Balkans. The...

`Conservative WASP atmosphere'. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2000... Judging from letters in Mail Call, your right-wing, nationalistic magazine probably won't print the letter of a sane liberal. VFW meetings are characterized by an ultraconservative WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) atmosphere where biased...

VFW a positive force. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2000... The importance of VFW was well expressed by a veteran who wrote: "There was a certain emptiness about my life after the war, and for years I couldn't put my finger on what it meant. A few years ago I finally joined the local VFW Post and found...

VFW opposes lifting homosexual ban. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Veterans of Foreign Wars)
February 1, 2000... VFW Res. 411--Oppose Lifting the Defense Department Ban on Homosexuals in the Armed Forces--resolves that members "unequivocally oppose the efforts of homosexual organizations and other groups to force the military services to accept and/or...

Combat action ribbon will not be issued. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... According to D.M. Martin, supervisor at the Retired Records Section of the Navy Personnel Command in St. Louis, "The secretary of the Navy has not set the criteria necessary for review of records prior to 1961. The Navy has never supported...

VA lauded for emphasis on patient safety. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Veterans Health Administration)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... "The Veterans Health Administration has made a more serious commitment to improving health safety than any other large system in the country," said Dr. Donald Berwick of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a non-profit research center in...

VA rated on customer satisfaction. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Veterans' Administration hospitals)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... In the first-ever survey of "customer satisfaction" with 29 federal agencies, VA clinics garnered 10 points above average with a rating of 79 by outpatients. The $1.8 million study was sponsored by the University of Michigan, the consulting...

GIs die in Persian Gulf region. (Security).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Four American servicemen died in two separate incidents in Kuwait in December. On Dec. 10, three airmen were killed during an aborted landing of a C-130 transport plane at the Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base, west of Kuwait City. The airmen were...

Special Forces deploy to Bosnia. (Security).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Soldiers from the 2nd Bn., 3rd Special Forces Group (A), deployed to Bosnia in December. They will remain there through April. According to Army public affairs, the soldiers are part of the continuing Special Forces mission as Joint...

30 sets of remains repatriated. (Security).(remains of 30 U.S. servicemen from Vietnam War and World War II)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... The remains of 30 U.S. servicemen from two wars were returned in December. After identification by the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, the remains of 12 U.S. Vietnam War dead were returned to their families....

U.S. air base will be returned to Germany. (Security).(Rhein-Main Air Base)
February 1, 2000... In a move that signals a shift of focus for the U.S. military from central to southeastern Europe, the United States in December agreed to turn over its main air base in Europe. By 2005, Germany will gain control of the Rhein-Main Air Base in...

Bill would enforce war crimes punishment. (Legislation).(bill to improve legal protection for U.S. military personnel and their families overseas)
February 1, 2000... A bill currently pending in the House would improve legal protection for U.S. military personnel and their families overseas. The bill, H. Con. Res. 181, shares objectives outlined in VFW Res. 424--Keeping Faith with the American...

Retirees eligible for higher disability pay. (Service).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Military retirees who are at least 70% disabled are eligible for "special compensation," according to a law passed in the first session of the 106th Congress. The Defense Authorization Act for FY2000 (P.L. 106-65) grants monthly payments...

Reserve troops get civilian pay. (Employment).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... A new law allows Reservists and National Guardsmen who work for the federal government to collect their civilian pay for inactive duty training or volunteering for non-combat missions overseas. Prior to passage of the 2000 Defense...

Saluting canine courage: some 30,000 dogs served America's military in 20th century wars. Hundreds--325 in Vietnam alone--died in action. Yet these loyal warriors remain unrecognized by a national memorial.
February 1, 2000... Like many other GIs, these troops sometimes sport strange nicknames--Capy, Blitz, Pepper, Duke, Bruiser. But their bravery, courage, loyalty and dedication to duty come straight from the military manual. They fight hard, die for their comrades,...

Korea office to handle 50th activities. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veteran and their families.).(U.S. Forces Korea)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... U.S. Forces Korea has set up a special office in Seoul to coordinate 50th anniversary commemorative activities for the Korean War over the next three years. It plans 11 key events within South Korea between June 25, 2000, and July 27,...

First hostile death of GI in Kosovo. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veteran and their families.).(Staff Sgt. Joseph E. Suponic)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Staff Sgt. Joseph E. Suponic was killed by a land mine near Kosovska Kamenica, Kosovo, on Dec. 16, 1999. A member of Co. C, 3rd Bn., 10th Special Force Grp., he was the first GI to die there from hostile causes. Suponic was assigned to the U.S....

North Korea MIA talks break down. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veteran and their families.).(US/North Korea talks on Korean Conflict remains)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Attempting to diplomatically blackmail the U.S., North Korea demanded that America pay for a factory to make clothes for all of the North's 5 million children. In December, the Pentagon's POW/MIA Office rejected the demand as "totally...

U.S. town first to adopt Spanish as official language. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veteran and their families.).(El Cenizo, TX)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... In an unprecedented move, the Texas border town of El Cenizo declared its official language of government Spanish. That means all official business--meetings and ordinances--will not be conducted in English. While the town was at it, it also...

Agent Orange defoliated Korea's DMZ: in 1968-69, during the "Second Korean War," 59,000 gallons of three toxic chemicals defoliated nearly 21,000 acres of the DMZ. For vets of the U.S. 2nd and 7th Infantry divisions, the recent U.S. government acknowledgment is a major breakthrough.
February 1, 2000... It is said you can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake. Events transpiring on the Korean Peninsula some 30 years ago add credence to that old adage. An investigation by the South Korean government into reports U.S. troops...

Army-Navy game and VFW: perfect match: VFW scores points with future military leaders. (Cover Story).(Veterans of Foreign Wars)
February 1, 2000... In the stands and on the field at the 100th Army-Navy football game last December in Philadelphia were some of the best and brightest of America's future military leaders. These young men and women--a good percentage of whom will lead U.S....

Military recruitment retention: what's the problem? America's armed forces are undergoing a crisis in manpower. It's time the problem is recognized for what it is--something more profound than mere money.
February 1, 2000... As chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel of the House Armed Services Committee, I have conducted extensive oversight of the military services' recruiting and retention problems. While many are quick to blame those problems on a...

Sapping warrior spirit alienates potential recruits.(military recruits)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Excerpts from a Dec. 9, 1999, Detroit News editorial by Chris Stewart and David Forsmark. "This explanation [a strong economy] flies in the face of both reason and history. In 1979, the low benchmark that current recruiting is being...

Living memorials: trees leave a lasting legacy and beautify the land in the process. Make your mark on history by having your Post participate.(Veterans of Foreign Wars)
February 1, 2000... VFW's Department of Utah plans a treemendous Utah project for the summer of 2000. With help from the National Tree Trust, Utah vets will greet the new millennium by planting 10,000 firs, maples, pines and other trees in their state. About...

Civics: students fail the test; studies show many students don't know civics or American history. VFW is helping to fill the educational void. (Government 101).(Veterans of Foreign Wars)
February 1, 2000... Too often we hear phrases like "today's children are tomorrow's leaders." This isn't too comforting according to scores just in from a U.S. Education Department test. Three-quarters of America's high school seniors are not proficient in...

Institute is archiving WWII experiences; Florida State University's History Department has been creating an archive of precious personal memories of WWII since 1997. Contributions are more than welcome. (`Recognition And Remembrance' Of WWII).
February 1, 2000... Taking as its theme the motto "Recognition and Remembrance," Florida State University's Institute on World War II & the Human Experience is collecting and maintaining a nationwide archive of veterans' memorabilia. As we all know, so much...

Triple-war Doubleday: dubiously credited as the "inventor of baseball," Abner Doubleday should be more aptly remembered as a three-war veteran who served his nation from Mexico to Gettysburg. (From Cannonballs to Baseballs).(Biography)
February 1, 2000... Ask most fans to name the man Who invented baseball, and the majority would most likely answer "Abner Doubleday." But ask them, "Who is Abner Doubleday?" and they'll probably react with a blank stare. Ironically, his name is remembered today...

Post honors woman sailor killed by terrorists: in Ocala, Fla., Post 4781 pays tribute to its namesake. This is the only VFW Post named after a victim of terrorism.. (VFW in action: VFW members and Posts demonstrating community service.).(Angela Santos; Veterans of Foreign Wars)
February 1, 2000... At 8 p.m. on April 14, 1988, in Naples, Italy, a car bomb exploded in front of the USO Club. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Angela Santos had just finished judging a music contest and was caught in the explosion. At 21, she became the first U.S....

Post donates advanced equipment to local fire department. (VFW in action: VFW members and Posts demonstrating community service.).(Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3484)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... In Saddle Brook, N.J., the fire department has the latest in firefighting technology thanks to Post 3484. The Post purchased three thermal imaging cameras for the fire department. At a total cost of $48,000, each firehouse in Saddle Brook now...

Targeting troops on duty: VFW recently implemented a plan to distribute no-cost memberships to qualified active-duty, Guard and Reserve troops. The program is in line with VFW's desire to ensure future growth. (membership).(Veterans of Foreign Wars)
February 1, 2000... The nation's oldest major veterans organization is looking for new blood. Realizing that its future is tied to the men and women who now serve in the armed forces, VFW hopes to attract some 80,000 active-duty, National Guard and Reserve troops...

VFW Credit Union: to grow is to loan: qualified borrowers with good credit are in top demand! (member benefits).(Veterans of Foreign Wars)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... The VFW Credit Union thanks the members and employees of the VFW and the Ladies Auxiliary for all the support they have offered over the past 1 1/2 years. Because of your patronage, the VFWCU has experienced phenomenal growth: currently there...

Jest a minute.(jokes)
February 1, 2000... * A little lie?: An Army cook liked to brag about being in the service. One morning after he cooked up a large order of scrambled eggs for new recruits, he wrote a letter to his girlfriend. "My darling--for two hours, shells have been bursting...

Reunion & claims.(Veterans of Foreign Wars)
February 1, 2000... REUNION COORDINATORS: To publicize your unit's reunion, fill out this form 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 523, Kansas City, MO 64111. Please note that...