VFW Magazine articles from June 2000

VFW Magazine archives from June 2000

Victorious vets of Korea: this is the 50th anniversary of the Korean War, and it's time to commemorate a special group of fellow veterans. (Korean War Veterans).
June 1, 2000... They have been called veterans of a forgotten victory--not to mention a forgotten war. But while such phrases may apply to the American public, they do not have a place in the language of the VFW. Quite frankly, the 1.6 million Americans...

Revolution's bloodiest battles. (mail call).(Battle of Oriskany)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Editor's Note: Re: "Famous Founding Fathers Among Nation's Veterans" (April). Readers wrote that the Battle of Oriskany on Aug. 6, 1777, in upstate New York was the bloodiest of the war. Per capita, it may have been. Some sources used...

Correction. (mail call).(Correction Notice)
June 1, 2000... Correction: Please excuse the typo on page 27 of that same story. Alexander Hamilton served 4 1/2 years as Washington's aide-de-camp.

Korean War survey being conducted. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Help preserve the service and sacrifices of America's Korean War veterans by participating in this one-of-a-kind survey. The U.S. Army Military History Institute is seeking papers, pictures and publications from soldiers who served in...

Deadly crash claims 19 Marines. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(near Tucson, Arizona)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... In the third worst lethal peacetime crash in a decade, 19 Marines died when their tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey crashed near Marana, 25 miles from Tucson, Ariz., on April 9. (Last December, a CH-46 crashed in the ocean off Point Loma, Calif.,...

Is the warrior spirit outmoded? (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... According to some women military officers, masculine traits are no longer necessary in the armed forces. "The muscle we use in combat today is between our ears," claims Navy Capt. Barbara L. Brehn. That may be true when one is dropping...

GI `person of the century'. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(honor for military personnel)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... The House of Representatives declared the GI "person of the century" in early April. The resolution, introduced by Rep. Robin Hayes (R-N.C.), passed 397-0. "The American GI changed the course of world history in helping defeat fascism and...

150 Medal of Honor recipients living. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Of the 150 living men awarded the nation's highest military decoration, 22 earned it in the Korean War. The breakdown is Army (11), Marines (9) and Navy (2). For a list of all living MOH recipients, visit the Web site: www.cmohs.org....

Army officers dropping out in droves. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Junior Army officers--lieutenants and captains--are departing that service in record numbers. Risk-taking is what combat arms officers signed up for, not peacekeeping missions, report many surveys. Despite Pentagon claims that a robust...

A 'Balkan War syndrome'? (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(British veterans sue government for alleged exposure to depleted uranium anti-tank missiles)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... A dozen British vets of Kosovo are suing the British Ministry of Defense. Exposure to depleted uranium anti-tank missiles is the cause of their ailments, they believe. The toxic dust stayed in the air long after NATO's bombing campaign last...

WWII MIA search still ongoing. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(missing in action)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... In April, the remains of a GI killed during the Battle of the Huertgen Forest in Germany in December 1944, were uncovered not far from Aachen. This was the fourth set of remains recovered in that area since 1997, according to the Army...

Rights of private groups threatened. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).(ruling about rights of organizations)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... The U.S. Supreme Court will soon render a decision regarding the right of the Boy Scouts of America--an organization long supported by VFW--to exclude homosexuals from its leadership. This decision will have ramifications far beyond the Boy...

VFW offers Korean War medal for members. (Service).(Veterans of Foreign Wars)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... As the world prepares to observe the 50th anniversary of the Korean War, GIs who helped fight it are finally eligible for a long-awaited form of tangible recognition from Korea. The Republic of Korea War Service Medal, created by South Korea...

Medal approved 48 years late. (Service).(U.S. veterans who fought in Korean War allowed to wear medal issued by South Korea)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... The government of South Korea created the medal nearly 50 years ago in appreciation for foreign soldiers who helped fight its war against North Korea and China. All nations but one authorized their Korean War veterans to wear it. For reasons...

37,000 U.S. troops deter war in Korea. (Security).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Nearly 50 years after North and South Korea signed an armistice that stopped the shooting in the Korean War, U.S. troops are still there. Because the two sides are still technically at war, some 37,000 GIs are spread out at more than 100...

'Dynamic' Air Force mission. (Security).(forces in Korea)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Two main components comprise America's fighting contingent in Korea: the 7th U.S. Air Force and Eighth U.S. Army. Under the 7th Air Force are units such as the 8th and 51st Fighter Wings. The 8th is stationed at Kunsan Air Base in...

Army ready for combat in Korea. (Security).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Some of the units that compose the Eighth Army are spread out over several of the 82 Army installations in Korea. The famous 2nd Infantry Division is the major U.S. ground combat unit on the peninsula. The 2nd's primary mission is "to...

Diabetes linked to Agent Orange. (Legislation).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... An Air Force study released in March provides "particularly strong evidence" that exposure to the Vietnam War defoliant Agent Orange could be a cause of diabetes. The study compared 1,000 Vietnam veterans who participated in Operation...

America's War in Korea: a GI's combat chronology 1950-1953. (Korean War).(Illustration)(Cover Story)
June 1, 2000... Though most attention has focused on the Korean War's first year, bloody fighting persisted throughout the entire war. In fact, some 46% of American casualties were sustained between mid-1951 and July 1953. This chronology is intended to help...

Major U.S. combat unit casualties in Korea: the units listed below account for 96% of the Americans killed by hostile action in Korea. Wounded in action include only those actually hospitalized. (Korean War).(Brief Article)(Illustration)
June 1, 2000... Major U.S. Combat Unit CASUALTIES IN KOREA UNIT KILLED WOUNDED IN ACTION IN ACTION 2nd Infantry Division 7,094 16,575 1st...

Killed in Korea: the untold story: for 40 years, the real number of Americans killed in Korea during the war was buried in a misleading statistic. It is about time the full story is told: 36,913 Americans died there--not 54,246. (Korean War).
June 1, 2000... Just take a look at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The number is engraved in stone: 54,246. * There is only one major problem--nearly one-third of the Americans included in that figure did not die in Korea! As it...

`Proud of being a Veteran of the Korean War': James Brady is well-known to many Americans through the last page of Parade magazine, on which he profiles celebrities each Sunday. A veteran publisher, editor and author of a dozen books, his The Coldest War was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. He shared his views on the Korean War with VFW magazine. (Korean War).(Interview)
June 1, 2000... James Brady's fascinating life began in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Nov. 15, 1928, just one year before the Great Depression. He grew up in modest surroundings living in close quarters with his only brother, Thomas, with whom he developed a close...

A task force named Smith: on July 5, 1950, the 24th Division's 21st Infantry Regiment and 52nd Field Artillery Battalion fought the first U.S. battle of the Korean War at Osan. (Korean War).
June 1, 2000... Beginning this month, VFW magazine launches a three-year series that will comprehensively cover the Korean War. Every issue from now on will feature a combat action or some other aspect of the war through July 2003.--The Editor Lt. Col....

Hell at Hadong: in the Korean War's second-worst single-action loss for GIs, 313 Americans of the 3rd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, were killed in action on July 26, 1950, in a deadly ambush. (Korean War).
June 1, 2000... On the morning of July 25, 1950, the 757 men of the 3rd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, marched toward a low pass on a road near Hadong, South Korea. Up ahead, someone spotted a handful of North Korean soldiers. The GIs fired a few shots,...

Kum River to Taejon: in the latter part of July, elements of the 24th Division delayed the North Korean advance and made a courageous stand at a major South Korean city. (Korean War).
June 1, 2000... With the Korean War barely two weeks old, it appeared that U.N. forces might soon be pushed into the sea by the five enemy divisions steamrolling their way south through the peninsula. Since crossing the 38th parallel on June 25, North Korean...

Don't miss the Wisconsin Veterans Museum: Wisconsin's unique museum is a tribute to the achievements and sacrifices of the state's veterans from the Civil War to the Persian Gulf. The museum also will soon display a special 50th anniversary exhibit on the Korean War. (Side trip: located just 1 1/2 hours from Milwaukee).
June 1, 2000... Hauntingly life-like bronze figures of soldiers, Marines, sailors and aviators stand proudly at the entrance to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison. These silent sentinels, and the heroes they represent, welcome visitors to an...

Commemorating the 'forgotten war': Posts get involved in the three-year remembrance of the Korean War. (VFW in action: VFW members and Posts demonstrating community service).
June 1, 2000... June kicks off the 2000-2003 commemoration of the Korean War, and a large number of Posts plan to host special activities. In Arizona, for instance, nearly every Post has applied for commemorative status from the Department of Defense. ...

Korea offers 'tremendous' recruiting potential: home to tens of thousands of VFW-eligible GIs, Korea holds the potential to be a recruiter's bonanza. But VFW's Membership director believes the organization is not adequately tapping into its largest single resource of young members. (membership).
June 1, 2000... U.S. troops in Korea have been prepared to fight a war on a moment's notice for nearly 50 years. Recognizing this difficult duty, VFW changed its Congressional Charter in 1995 to qualify for membership all GIs who have served there for at...

Wheels of fortune: are your tires safe? (member benefits).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Your tires are brand new and perfectly matched to your vehicle, your driving style and road conditions. Do you think you've got tire safety covered? Think again as you review our tire safety checklist. It may contain information you either...

Reunions & claims.(veterans)
June 1, 2000... REUNION COORDINATORS: To publicize your unit's reunion, fill out the form in the February 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 City,...