VFW Magazine articles from January 2003

VFW Magazine archives from January 2003

Battlefield valor unrecognized: does the American public genuinely appreciate heroism in war? (command post).
January 1, 2003... If ever a word was abused, it is hero. The news media's inappropriate application of the term has left Americans dulled. Many citizens are now incapable of defining physical courage. Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary's first...

Recalling the sacrifices of the Iran mission, 1980. (mail call).
January 1, 2003... Thanks for "Calamity at Desert One" (November) by Rudy Wright. It is about time the heroes of that mission are known to the public. Both EC-130s involved were on loan from the Airborne Battlefield Command & Control Squadron (formerly the 7th...

Identifying deaths in Terrorism War. (mail call).
January 1, 2003... Re: "American Deaths in the War on Islamist Terrorism" (November). The Marine deaths in Pakistan on Jan. 9 were incorrectly identified under the heading of "helicopter" crash. Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352 flies KC-130F...

Engineers in Korean Combat. (mail call).
January 1, 2003... The November Veterans Day issue was terrific. The article "Engineers in Combat" by Gary Turbak was long overdue. The stories of the men who earned the Medal of Honor should be told to all the American people. Thank you for reminding us. Ed...

Public perception of later wars limited. (mail call).
January 1, 2003... "WWII Vets: Public Perceptions and Popular Portrayals" (November) by Mark Van Ells was interesting. It's no wonder WWII vets are held in such high regard. Movies and books on the war generally depict those who served as having a strong sense of...

More on combat coping. (mail call).
January 1, 2003... Mark Van Ells "Coping with the Emotional Numbing of Combat" (October) hit it on the nose. VA recently diagnosed me with PTSD. I was a Browning Automatic Rifleman with C Co., 1st Bn., 1st Regt., 1st Marine Div., on both Pelelieu and Okinawa. ...

Air Force cadet called "disgrace" by professor. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families).
January 1, 2003... Air Force Academy cadet Robert Krupiel was labeled a criminal for wearing his country's uniform by one of academia's finest. Chicago Saint Xavier University history professor Peter Kirstein had this to say in October to the airman: "You...

Military service unpopular. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families).
January 1, 2003... Fifty percent--yes, 50%--of Americans don't want their kids serving in the armed forces, according to a Scripps Howard News Service and Ohio University survey of 1,000 adults. "Most citizens are not interested in donning uniforms to defend...

Youths ignorant of geography. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families).
January 1, 2003... "Someone once said that war is God's way of teaching geography, but apparently today neither war nor the threat of war can adequately teach geography," National Geographic Society President John Fahey said. He was referring to the society's...

Books of interest to veterans. (Book Corner).
January 1, 2003... Carney, John T. & Benjamin F. Schemmer. No Room For Error: The Covert Operations of America's Special Tactics Units from Iran to Afghanistan. N.Y.: Ballantine Books, 2002. Excellent overview since 1980. Harclerode, Peter. Fighting Dirty:...

Helpline answers burial benefits questions. (Service).
January 1, 2003... With some 1,800 veterans dying each day, VFW staff members manning the toll-free Veterans Helpline (1-800-VFW-1899) in Washington, D.C., have reported an increase in questions pertaining to veterans burial benefits. Listed below are some of the...

Court rules against military retirees. (Service).
January 1, 2003... After years in the legal system, two military retirees who claimed they were promised free lifetime health care by military recruiters lost an appeal in federal court. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., ruled...

Concurrent receipt compromised. (Legislation).
January 1, 2003... After much talk from Congress about supporting concurrent receipt, legislators instead approved a compromise Nov. 13 that provides "special compensation" to certain combat-related disabled military retirees. VFW was disappointed the compromise...

Military heroism denied: "students rarely mention soldiers as heroes ... Even after Sept. 11, many students remain skeptical about the notion of soldiers as heroes," writes author Peter Gibbon in his new book, A Call to Heroism. Much of this sad state of affairs is due directly to American society's stereotyping of those who honorably served in Vietnam.
January 1, 2003... Since WWII, a constellation of factors, primary among them the Vietnam War, has given rise to a skepticism about warrior heroes that persists even today, especially among young Americans. Following the carnage of the two world wars came the...

Horn of Africa to serve as base of operations: small but strategically located Djibouti on the Red Sea is hosting more than 3,000 U.S. troops. They are prepared to strike al Qaeda targets in Yemen or aid a possible war in Iraq. (War On Terrorism).
January 1, 2003... U.S. Marines and special ops troops are in Djibouti, a country of some 600,000 population at the junction of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Strategically located, it provides an ideal base to launch attacks on al Qaeda targets in Yemen, less...

`Flying Minutemen': stand ready to defend homeland: best known for search and rescue, the Civil Air Patrol is poised to play a crucial role in defending the home front.
January 1, 2003... Ready to help in America's homeland defense is a little-known civilian auxiliary of the Air Force called the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). It includes 3,000 volunteers who pilot their own planes. Having distinguished themselves during WWII in...

10 ways to avoid red tape in VA claims processing: here is the advice you have been waiting for--how to efficiently navigate a VA facility and come out with your claim intact.
January 1, 2003... Anyone who has used a VA medical facility has encountered unnecessary delays in service. Yet most such delays are avoidable. To avert long waits in processing, simply follow these "top 10" steps. * Read the instructions. Although the print...

Do you suffer high anxiety? research reveals more about how stress affects body and mind. Here is the rundown on causes and therapies.
January 1, 2003... Physicians are seeing an unprecedented number of patients with anxiety disorders. So many, in fact, that tranquilizers have become the fifth most commonly prescribed drug, far ahead of any antibiotic or birth control pill. Are we entering...

Fight back against health quackery: add a healthy dose of skepticism to those miracle medical claims.
January 1, 2003... Health quackery is roaring back to life--riding the wave of legitimate and successful drugs like Viagra to treat sexual dysfunction and the anti-arthritis drug Celebrex. So much, in fact, that the Federal Trade Commission has issued a "red...

Montana Plains replay Vietnam memories: confidence and competence were the sterling characteristics that shone through when four severely disabled Vietnam veterans participated in VFW's annual antelope hunt. This year marked the 20th time VFW has sponsored the outing.
January 1, 2003... Confidence. Competence. Twin characteristics that successful in both military and civilian life. Ask the American to identify individuals who most exemplify these character traits, and you'll likely hear the typical review of personalities from...

First aid under fire: army medics and Navy corpsmen provided life-saving services on Korean battlefields, earning the undying respect of infantrymen. (Korean War).
January 1, 2003... Thousands of Korean War veterans survived their battlefield wounds because someone with medical expertise and first-aid supplies was nearby when they were hit. Often, the wounded man. didn't even know his rescuer's name, but in a sense they all...

The power of reunions: reunions are emotionally uplifting experiences for everyone involved.
January 1, 2003... You haven't seen them in decades, yet they greet you with open arms. You have shared something life-changing with them, and you share a bond that no one else does. This is the experience many veterans have when they attend reunions and see old...

What to expect from your yearly physical examination. (Health).
January 1, 2003... Despite the extraordinary diagnostic technology available today, the time-honored physical examination is still of the utmost importance. It is this close connection between physician and patient that creates a relationship that helps the...

A `Minnesota tradition: VFW enters 48th year as sponsor of youth hockey program. (VFW in action).
January 1, 2003... VFW has a history sponsoring youth sports programs. One of the most well-known is Minnesota's 47-well-year-old youth hockey tournament. It is a tradition that has borne Olympic athletes. Twelve members of the gold-medal winning 1980 U.S....

`Face-to-face' recruiting is the key to signing up active-duty members: a recent recruiting school and several visits to military installations in Germany netted some 200 new members for the Department of Europe. (membership).
January 1, 2003... The secret to signing up active-duty members is no different than the secret for recruiting any other member: You have to be visible and willing to talk with them. This is the opinion of a Department of Europe official who accompanied VFW's...

Great savings for members. (member benefits).
January 1, 2003... VFW Voluntary Member Benefits offers members the opportunity to save money on medical expenses, computers and Internet service. For detailed information, call 1-800-821-2606, or visit the Web site at www.vfw.org (go to membership, then perks).

Jest a minute.
January 1, 2003... * What did mama and papa buffalo say to their son as he went off to college? Answer: "Bison." George V. Kottwitz, Edwardsville, Ill. * Happiness: Getting a bill you've already paid so you can sit down and write a nasty letter. ...

Reunions & claims.
January 1, 2003... 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...