VFW Magazine articles from February 2004

VFW Magazine archives from February 2004

Citizen-soldiers count on VFW: troops of the National Guard and Reserve rely on us to support them in the field and back them and their families after returning home.(command post)
February 1, 2004... To many of us who served in Vietnam, combat and the National Guard were rarely synonymous. For sure, Guard units served there, especially in 1968. But it was not until the Persian Gulf War of 1991 that large-scale mobilizations began. ...

GI is 2003 Person of the Year.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)
February 1, 2004... Time magazine selected the 1.4 million Americans in military uniform to be represented on its Dec. 29 cover. Collectively, they were the magazine's Person of the Year. The decision was based on the premise that the armed forces are charged...

Season still open on Vietnam vets.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)
February 1, 2004... In total contrast to Time's Person of the Year, veterans of the Vietnam War are still Hollywood's all-purpose villains. Instead of praise, they are vilified in Tinsel Town. TNT's Word of Honor, which aired in December, came up with a...

Political correctness and WWII.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)
February 1, 2004... Barry University literature professor Porter Crow has found in high school textbooks what many observers have warned about for years. Outright historical distortion has become the order of the day to advance social agendas. "This isn't history"...

Soldiers' legal rights strengthened.(Legislation)(Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Troops serving on active-duty now have more legal protection against creditors and landlords. President Bush signed P.L. 108-189, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, on Dec. 19. It strengthens existing laws and adds new protections for GIs....

Disabled vets benefits expanded.(LegislationA)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... A law signed by President Bush Dec. 16 will provide $1 billion in new benefits for disabled veterans and their families. The provisions in P.L. 108-183, the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003, will be phased in over the next 10 years. (For specific...

Sandfly bites infect hundreds of troops.(Security)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Some 150 troops in Iraq have been infected with a skin disease caused by sandfly bites. An Army doctor predicts that number could more than double. "We started seeing soldiers basically eaten alive," said Army Lt. Col. Russell Coleman, who...

Iran again linked to Khobar Towers blast.(Security)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Former FBI Director Louis Freeh in December blamed Iranian military officials for the 1996 deaths of 19 U.S. airmen in Saudi Arabia. Testifying as a witness in a civil trial brought by families of 12 of the airmen against the government of...

11,000 medical evacuations from Iraq.(Security)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... By the end of November, the number of soldiers evacuated from Iraq was nearly 11,000, according to Pentagon figures obtained by United Press International. The 10,854 evacuations were for both hostile and non-hostile causes. Specifically,...

Law eased for military citizenship.(Security)
February 1, 2004... A provision in the 2004 Defense Authorization Act will make it easier for some 37,000 U.S. troops to gain citizenship. The law (P.L. 108-136), signed by President Bush on Nov. 24, waives fees for naturalization, reduces length-of-service...

Reservists losing jobs while on active duty.(Employment)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Activated National Guardsmen and Reservists are having trouble getting their civilian jobs back when they return home, according to Labor Department statistics. Between 1998 and 2002, Labor's Office of Special Counsel (OSC), which...

VA studying gulf vets health.(Service)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... VA announced in December that it has mailed medical surveys to Gulf War veterans. Called the Longitudinal Health Study of Gulf War Era Veterans, it is a follow up to one conducted in 1995-96 that sampled 30,000 vets. Questions concern...

Benefits get cost-of-living boost.(Service)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Nearly 3 million disabled veterans received a 2.1% cost-of-living increase in their benefits in December. It matches the increase in Social Security rates. Both were approved through enactment of the Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living...

Restructuring facilities will enhance veterans health care: in a shift from inpatient to outpatient care, VA proposes closing seven hospitals and smaller facilities at estimated savings of $400 million a year.
February 1, 2004... IN the changing face of VA health care, seven VA hospitals from Canandaigua, N.Y., to Livermore, Calif., will most likely close their doors. The proposed hospital closures are the result of VA's Capital Assets Realignment for Enhanced Services...

'Black ops' shine in Iraq War: the scope of U.S. special operations in the Iraq War was the largest in American military history. The precedent-setting use of Army Green Berets and Rangers, Navy SEALs and Air Force commandos heralded the future of U.S. war-fighting doctrine.
February 1, 2004... From headline-grabbing missions like, Saddam Hussein's capture and Jessica Lynch's rescue critically strategic operations that will never be revealed, some 10,000 U.S. special ops forces have been involved in nearly every phase of the Iraq War....

Iraq -- a final salute: VFW magazine presents this memorial listing in tribute to the 74 Americans killed between Nov. 14 and Dec. 26 in Iraq.
February 1, 2004... Deaths to Enemy Action Army Sgt. Michael D. Acklin II, 1st Bn., 320th FA Regt., 101st Abn. Div., Louisville, Ky. * Spc. Genaro Acosta, 1st Bn., 44th Air Defense Artillery Regt., 4th Inf. Div., Fair Oaks, Calif. Spc. Ryan T....

Forget the weekend, they are full-fledged ... warriors: in this modern age of warfare, members of the National Guard and Reserve are no longer "weekend warriors," they have become front-line combatants on the ground in Iraq.
February 1, 2004... American soldiers assigned to the Maghrib neighborhood of Baghdad last year found themselves in a shadowy, treacherous territory. Home to both squalid slums and lavish mansions, the Maghrib concealed a die-hard cadre of Saddam Hussein...

Caring for troops tops VFW's concerns: with care packages, phone cards and welcome home events, VFW members demonstrate patriotism at its finest.
February 1, 2004... As fighting continues in Iraq and Afghanistan, VFW members know it's important to boost troop morale. With the casualty toll on the rise, this is necessary now more than ever. From San Diego to Batavia, Ill., VFW Posts are doing their part...

The Purple Heart: separating fact from fiction: here is everything you ever wanted to know about America's wound medal.
February 1, 2004... As of January 2004, some 360 Americans had been killed in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. More than 2,500 have been wounded in these theaters of fighting. Consequently, the Purple Heart is once again being awarded to Americans in uniform. So...

Sports spark recovery process.
February 1, 2004... Founded for and by wounded war veterans 36 years ago, Disabled Sports USA uses sports and recreation activities to help anyone with a physical disability. ********** The man who leads a national disabled sports organization knows...

Military service and Social Security: here is the latest on Social Security benefits of special interest to veterans.
February 1, 2004... Earnings for active-duty military service or active-duty training have been covered under Social Security since 1957. Social Security has covered inactive duty service in the armed forces Reserves (such as weekend drills) since 1988. ...

Defeating depression: decide whether you have the "blues" or clinical depression, and use some time-tested methods to treat the symptoms.
February 1, 2004... With each generation, we're getting more depressed. An international study of trends in the disorder finds that since 1915, the risk of depression has increased worldwide, nearly doubling for each successive generation. Moreover, the "gap...

France prepares for D-Day anniversary: veterans returning to Normandy for the 60th anniversary will encounter a host of celebrations in various cities.
February 1, 2004... It's been 60 years since U.S. troops stormed the beaches at Omaha and Utah in Normandy and fought in places like Saint-Mere Eglise and St. Marie du Mont to liberate northern France. To commemorate D-Day, some WWII vets and their families...

Gaming proceeds aid community: a West Virginia town strikes it rich thanks to a VFW Post.(VFW in action)
February 1, 2004... In Chester, W. Va., VFW Post 6450 serves as a community guardian, of sorts. In the past year, the Post has donated nearly $275,000 to various community endeavors. The recipients of the Post's generosity include the fire and police departments,...

VFW members continue to give: in towns across the nation, VFW Posts can be found working for the betterment of their communities.(VFW in action)
February 1, 2004... VFW members are known for their generosity and concern for those in need. It seems some Posts have become synonymous with the oft-used phrase "community service." A fine example comes out of Rahway, N.J., home of Post 681. When member...

Members sound off for a better VFW: from recruiting to running Post meetings, members offer ideas for improving VFW. Here is a sampling of some of their suggestions.(membership)
February 1, 2004... Several readers responded to a request in the November 2003 issue for comments on attracting potential members. A Green Beret in North Carolina says current active-duty troops want to know what an organization is doing for them, and that's...

Member benefits.
February 1, 2004... Let Us Know Your Member Benefit Needs Contact VFW Member Benefits to see how we can save you money. Call 1-800-821-2606, option 4, or e-mail memberbenefits@vfw.org.

Jest a minute.
February 1, 2004... * A little boy wanted $100 for toys very badly, so he prayed about the money for weeks, but nothing happened. He decided to write God a letter requesting the money. When the postal authorities received the letter to "God, USA," they...

Black listed cancer treatment could save your life.(Advertisement)
February 1, 2004... Baltimore, MD--As unbelievable as it seems the key to stopping many cancers has been around for over 30 years. Yet it has been banned. Blocked. And kept out of your medicine cabinet by the very agency designed to protect your health--the FDA....

Reunions & claims.
February 1, 2004... REUNION COORDINATORS: To publicize your unit's reunion, fill out the form on page 50 of the February 2004 VFW magazine or print out a form from VFW's Web site: http://www.vfw.org/magazine/51.shtml. Send to VFW magazine, 406 W. 34th St., Suite...