VFW Magazine articles from January 2000

VFW Magazine archives from January 2000

Participate in the primaries: getting actively involved in the political process is the only sure way to guarantee veterans rights. (Presidential Primaries).
January 1, 2000... A Politically active VFW member is the most effective electoral weapon the organization has in its arsenal. At all levels of the organization, VFW members are currently engaged in the voting process. Crucial presidential primaries are on the...

Thanks for "Thanksgiving". (mail call).
January 1, 2000... "A Day of Thanks: Origins of a National Holiday" (November) is a classic. It needs to be distributed to all present-day school kids who are lied to about the true reasons for Thanksgiving. Americans have fallen so far from their roots that bad...

Membership for Cold War vets denied! (mail call).
January 1, 2000... VFW paid lip service to honoring Cold War vets with its November issue, but has failed to heed the wishes of 79% of its members by admitting them into the organization. Where is the sense of grass roots accountability on the part of our...

Honoring Cold War veterans. (mail call).
January 1, 2000... "Veterans of a Surreal War" (November) was outstanding. The entire issue is the perfect tool for use in public schools to teach the crucial nature of the Cold War. Until we get the true story of the American serviceman's role in winning...

Counting Cold War casualties. (mail call).
January 1, 2000... Many non-hostile casualties would not have been suffered overseas had it not been for the Cold War. Soldiers crushed by vehicles while on maneuvers, artillerymen blown apart by exploding guns and Pershing missilemen incinerated by misfiring...

Cold War chronology: missing pieces. (mail call).
January 1, 2000... Editor's Note: A hearty thanks to all readers who sent letters to fill in the blanks in the chronology. Because there is so much information to add, we are simply listing the events without the names and addresses of the contributors. But...

National Home Founder's Day. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(VFW's National Home for Children: 75th anniversary)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... VFW's National Home for Children will begin celebrating its 75th anniversary on Jan. 7 with a Founder's Day event at the Home in Eaton Rapids, Mich. For more information, call (517) 663-1521.

President on military service. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(most Americans do not consider military service as necessary for the presidency)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... According to President Bill Clinton, serving in the military gives a commander-in-chief a "unique perspective." He added,"and frankly I think that's the way it ought to be... So I have always seen military service as a plus." ...

Dead in Kosovo exaggerated. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(number of ethnic Albanian deaths seem exaggerated)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Despite Administration claims last spring, the number of ethnic Albanians killed by Serbs in Kosovo never approached "genocide." Implications that 100,000 civilians were murdered are groundless, say investigators. According to Spanish...

Voter turnout in a nosedive. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(voter turnout very low in 1996, with Veterans of Foreign Wars members being an exception)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... In the 1996 presidential election, only 49% of eligible voters cast a ballot--the least since 1924. According to the new book, Non-Voters: America's No-Shows, non-voters fall into five categories: "doers" (29%) who see not voting as a form of...

Freedom Day marks downfall of European communism. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(destruction of the Berlin Wall)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... On the 10th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the House of Representatives voted 417-0 to declare Nov. 9 Freedom Day. It will annually commemorate the West's victory over Soviet communism. Introduced by Rep. Christopher Cox...

Plaque to mark site of VFW's birth. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(American Veterans of Foreign Service originated in Columbus, Ohio,in 1899)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The Ohio Bicentennial Commission will place an historical marker at 286 East Main Street in Columbus, Ohio, within the next year, according to Rep. Deborah Pryce. The American Veterans of Foreign Service, one of the VFW's parent groups,...

Mountain now POW/MIA memorial. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(mountain in Alaska named Mount POW/MIA)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... On Nov. l 1, a 4,325-foot peak in Alaska's Chugach Mountains--45 miles north of Anchorage--was officially named Mount POW/MIA. This feat fulfilled a 20-year quest by Marine vet John Morrissey, who served with the 3rd Marine Recon Battlion...

Iran linked to Marines' deaths in `83. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(bombing in Beirut, Lebanon)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... In November, Newsweek reported new evidence had emerged linking Iran to the terrorist bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut in 1983, which killed 241 men. A National Security Agency wiretap recorded the Iranian ambassador in Syria,...

Blinded Vet Foundation at your service. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The Blinded American Veterans Foundation (BAVF), founded in 1985, provides research, rehabilitation and re-employment services for blinded vets. It is not a membership organization, but a clearinghouse for information. If you would like to...

WWII Comanche code-talker honored. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Charles Chibitty receives the Knowlton Award)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Charles Chibitty, at a ceremony in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes, received the Knowlton Award, a military intelligence honor, in early December. He is the last surviving member of 17 Comanches who played an important role at Normandy during...

WWII vets and Northern Ireland. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).
January 1, 2000... If you are interested in returning to your old haunts in Ulster, contact: Faith Phillips, Northern Ireland Tourist Board, 551 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10176-0799. Tel: (212) 922-0101. Ask for the superb brochure entitled Glad To Be Here:...

Costly contingency operations. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(cost of wars, during the 1990s)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The 1990s have been expensive for U.S. taxpayers. Costs for sending troops to Somalia, Haiti, Iraq, Bosnia and other places are approaching the $22 billion mark. Operations in Bosnia and the Persian Gulf are by far the costliest, according to...

Opportunities to serve your community. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(National Senior Service Corps)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... If you are over 55, the perfect outlet exists to use your skills as a volunteer. For more information, contact: Thomas Endres, Director, National Senior Service Corps, 1201 New York Ave,. Washington, DC 20525.

WWII women's oral history project. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(women who served in the military)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... If you are a woman who served in the military during WWII, the Women Veterans Historical Project needs your personal account for its oral history collection at the University of North Carolina. Veterans interested in supporting or...

`Far-reaching' health care law passed. (Legislation).(Veterans Millennium Health Care Act)
January 1, 2000... In November, President Clinton signed into law a wide-ranging bill improving veterans health care and benefits. The Veterans Millennium Health Care Act (P.L. 106-117) received vigorous support from VFW. "It's a far-reaching measure that...

Better burial honors are now law. (Legislation).(veterans funerals; 'Honoring Those Who Served' program)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... A law providing more "appropriate" funeral honors for veterans funerals goes into effect this month. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 contains guidelines for a new program called "Honoring Those Who Served." ...

Brain damage reported in ill Gulf vets. (Service).(Gulf War veterans)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Results of a study released in November show some sick Gulf War veterans suffer brain damage. Researchers believe it could have been caused by exposure to toxic chemicals. "This is the first time ever we have proof of brain damage in sick...

VA will open vets `shopping mall'. (Service).(Department of Veterans Afairs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... VA is building its initial version of a veterans shopping mall at the Dallas VA Medical Center. Called a Veterans Services Center, it will open in autumn 2000. According to the Veterans Canteen Service, the mall-like center in Dallas will...

Active Army divisions unfit for war. (Security).(two divisions receive an unfit rating )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The U.S. Army has rated two of its 10 divisions as unprepared to fight a major war, according to a Pentagon announcement in November. The two divisions--the 10th Mountain and the 1st Infantry--were given a "C-4," the lowest possible, rating...

Guard units slated for Balkans duty. (Security).(National Guard division to Bosnia)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The Army has chosen the second National Guard division to lead active duty troops in Bosnia. The headquarters of the 29th Infantry Division from Virginia and Maryland will deploy to Bosnia for a six-month rotation in October 2001. It will be...

Time limits removed for job complaints. (Employment).(veterans: civilian employment complaints)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Reservists and Guardsmen who feel they have been mistreated by their civilian employers and wish to file formal complaints may now do so at any time. In November, the Merit Systems Protection Board issued a final ruling that removes time limits...

Kosovo: touching close to home: nearly eight months have passed since U.S. troops began logging duty on the ground in Kosovo. Though forgotten, in large part, by most Americans, the GIs stationed there remain a top priority for VFW. (Cover Story).(Veterans of Foreign Wars)(Cover Story)
January 1, 2000... From official visits by VFW's leadership to personal ties at national headquarters, VFW's concern for U.S. troops overseas is never-ending. Currently, the organization's focus is on a small corner of the Balkans. Since June 1999, Kosovo,...

Waging war from the home front: Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, Mo., has deployed bombers to Kosovo and fighters to Kuwait. This could be the future of warfare in the 21st century.
January 1, 2000... Situated in America's heartland, Whiteman Air Force Base would seem an unlikely setting for launching hostile sorties. But in the nation's air offensive against the former Yugoslavia last spring, the base did just that. It also has dispatched...

Conquering the wounds of war: for the third year in a row, VFW magazine and Russ Greenwood, owner of Doonan Gulch Outfitters in Broadus, Mont., co-sponsored an antelope hunt for Vietnam War veteran amputees. The trip is an expression of appreciation for what these men hard given to their country.
January 1, 2000... How do you ask a man who lost his arms or legs in war how "it" happened? Amid all the laughing and joking on a hunting trip, the question seems terribly out of place. But for the men who traveled to Montana last October to hunt...

Britain: a military history tour: England and Scotland have a wealth of military history to share with American veterans. And with the advances in technology, the presentations are better than ever. Here's a whirlwind tour.(flights over Kosovo are only the latest in a series of military ventures)
January 1, 2000... Americans--for the fifth time this century--conducted military operations from bases in Britain. This time the bombing targets were located in the former Yugoslavia. Operations over Kosovo highlighted a century-long alliance between the...

New stamps commemorate war service.(war statistics )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... As part of its Celebrate the Century series, the U.S. Postal Service is recognizing the sacrifices of Americans who fought the nation's war. WORLD WAR I, 1917-18 Number Serving: 2,171,560 Combat Deaths: 53,513 Other Deaths: 63,195...

Contacting Congress on Veterans Affairs: here are the members of Congress who sit on the committees important to you. Various staff directors can assist you with updates on legislative developments. (On The Hill).(members of Veterans Affairs committees)(Directory)
January 1, 2000... Senate VETERANS AFFAIRS SR-412 Russell Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510-6375 CONTACTING THE COMMITTEE: Majority Room 412 Russell Phone (202) 224-9126 Fax ...

States shore-up Gulf War benefits: seven states offer special assistance, from medical to financial.(Persian Gulf War veterans)
January 1, 2000... Since the Persian Gulf War ended in 1991, mysterious ailments have appeared in thousands of veterans. Time has left many questions unanswered in their minds. To help find the answers, or, at the very least, to complement VAs efforts, seven...

`Together We Stand': VFW, Pfizer form an alliance for men's health care. (Medical).
January 1, 2000... It's no big secret men don't like to go to the doctor. Recognizing this reluctance, Pfizer, a research-based global pharmaceutical company, launched a program to promote men's health issues. The company handpicked the VFW to give the program a...

VFW Foundation heads in new direction: the Foundation has a new director who plans to succesfully lead it into the new millennium. (Expansion Plans).(Bud Meador plans a fund raising effort)
January 1, 2000... Bud Meador has big plans for the VFW Foundation. Appointed Foundation director on Sept. 1, he already has begun the search for operating staff and purchased appropriate software to enhance fundraising. Meador, who spent 27 years in the...

Tribe remembers POWs: Nez Perce commemorate ancestors held as POWs at Ft. Leavenworth in 1870s. Many participants are VFW members. (VFW in action: VFW members and Posts demonstrating community service.).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Members of the Nez Perce tribe traveled from Idaho to Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., to remember their more than 400 tribal forefathers held prisoners of war there in 1877-1878. Tribal members, many of whom also are VFW members of Post 10933 in Lapwai,...

Post spearheads troop support effort in Bosnia: backed by its VFW Post, the town of Enderlin, N.D., is showing its concern for soldiers stationed in the Balkans. (VFW in action: VFW members and Posts demonstrating community services).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Post 9050 in Enderlin, N.D., enlisted the help of the community in offering support to the 10th Aviation Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division stationed in Bosnia. Commander Frank Egan, a Gulf War veteran, encouraged Enderlin school children to...

Beyond the recruiting sales pitch: three successful recruiters tell how to gain new members: know the VFW, its programs and its eligibility requirements. (membership).(Veterans of Foreign Wars)
January 1, 2000... It's true that good VFW recruiters must be outgoing, friendly people with effective salesmanship techniques, but they also must know the organization. An often-overlooked--yet indispensable--tool is a thorough understanding of eligibility...

Buy of a lifetime: life membership. (member benefits).(Veterans of Foreign Wars)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... If you have ever thought about becoming a life member but have not because of the cost, think again. The VFW Life Membership Installment Plan is simple. Pay the life-member fee in four interest-free installments over a single calendar...

Jest a minute.
January 1, 2000... * During the Civil War, a messenger arrived in great haste at the White House and informed President Lincoln that Mosby's Rangers had attacked a large wagon train near the Potomac and had taken a brigadier general prisoner. "Did they take...

Reunions & claims.
January 1, 2000... REUNION COORDINATORS: To publicize your unit's reunion, fill out the form provided in the January 2000 issue 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...