VFW Magazine articles from March 2002

VFW Magazine archives from March 2002

Diabetes awareness: a VFW initiative this year seeks to educate veterans to the dangers of one of the most prevalent diseases among older Americans. (Caring For Your Health).
March 1, 2002... One of the underlying tenets of VFW's creed is health care. From the start, VFW founders focused on the medical needs of veterans of overseas campaigns. That focus, of course, has broadened tremendously over the last century. We tend to...

Symbol of quiet confidence. (mail call).
March 1, 2002... The articles relating to the war on terrorism and the rallying of VFW Posts across the country (January issue) are a proud tribute. to gallant warriors serving their nation. "From the Ashes Comes the Rebirth of Patriotism" by Walter Berns...

Excellent issue. (mail call).
March 1, 2002... Congratulations on the January 2002 issue. In the long time period that I have been receiving the magazine, this issue is the finest one that I can recall. Its general makeup, together with the individual, interesting articles and their...

Don't forget air combat controllers. (mail call).
March 1, 2002... "Special Ops Pave the Way" (January) by Milt Copulos was a very interesting article. Other than a brief mention, however, the role of Air Force combat controllers was not detailed. Approximately 100 controllers, weathermen and pararescue men...

Helicopter firsts in Korea and WWII. (mail call).
March 1, 2002... Re: "Eggbeaters' Make Combat Debut in Korea" (January) by John Davis. According to the book MASH by Dr. Otto Apel: "During the Chinese New Year's offensive, lieutenants Willie Strawn and Joe Bowler, both flying H-13s, transported four recently...

Mail Call as a source of ideas. (mail call).
March 1, 2002... Letters from veterans are not only useful, but enrich the magazine. Mail Call is a forum for the vast majority of members who are not activists. One Steve Alvarez wrote such an interesting and important letter in January. He proposed that...

Flag etiquette reminder. (mail call).
March 1, 2002... Re: "Flag to Inspire Troops in Afghanistan," Now Hear This, January. According to the Flag Code (37.Sec. 4, g): "The U.S. flag should never have placed upon any part of it, nor attached to it, any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure,...

Terrorism war no boon to recruiting. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).
March 1, 2002... Despite the supposed wave of patriotism that swept across America after Sept. 11, the armed forces saw no rise in enlistments. In fact, new enlistments actually declined, shattering once again the myth that national emergencies prompt a rush to...

West Point to celebrate bicentennial. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).
March 1, 2002... March 16 marks the official birth of the U.S. Military Academy. On that day in 1802, Congress authorized its creation. For details on the special observances, which begin in August, contact: Bicentennial Office, Building 600, West Point, NY...

California school mandates Islam. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).
March 1, 2002... California's Byron Union School District is forcing 7th-graders to learn the tenets of Islam during a three-week course. Among other things, students are told to chant, "Praise to Allah, Lord of Creation." The accompanying textbook presents...

Saudi repression of U.S. service women. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).
March 1, 2002... Also not included in the California course is mention of the Saudi Arabian government's degrading practice of forcing American female military personnel to wear medieval robes while off base. U.S. Central Command ordered that the robes be...

First president unwelcome in classroom. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).
March 1, 2002... William Sanders, founder of Portraits of Patriots, discovered the standard politically correct nonsense at work when he launched a campaign to place a picture of George Washington in New Jersey public schools. USA Today reported in early...

Name change for retirement homes. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).
March 1, 2002... Both military retirement homes located in Gulfport, Miss., and Washington, D.C., are now named the Armed Forces Retirement Home. For information, contact the AFRH: 1800 Beach Drive Gulfport, MS 39507-1597 1-800-332-3527 Or,...

Oldest living vet resides in Nebraska. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).
March 1, 2002... According to the Jan. 17 issue of the Omaha World Herald, Jesse Edminsten is probably America's oldest living veteran at 108. A resident of Park Avenue Estates in Lexington, Neb., he served in the infantry during WWI and in intelligence in...

Vietnam POW eligible for MOH. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).
March 1, 2002... Sec. 551 of the 2002 Defense Authorization Act granted authority to waive the time limit for awarding the Medal of Honor to Humbert R. Versace. Capt. "Rocky" was executed by the Communists in Vietnam. Approval for his MOH is nearing. A memorial...

'Boomer' generation and WWII. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.).
March 1, 2002... A virtual fad--a newfound adoration for WWII vets--has recently evolved among those who consider themselves part of the so-called "Sixties Generation." Few observers, however, have pointed out the inherent hypocrisy here. But John...

VA opens hepatitis C centers. (Service).
March 1, 2002... Acknowledging a "large and growing public health problem," VA established four hepatitis C centers on Jan. 1. Their mission will be to evaluate and improve screening, testing, clinical care and education for the disease. The four...

Radiation disease list expanded. (Service).
March 1, 2002... VA Secretary Anthony Principi on Jan. 25 added five more cancers to the list of diseases presumed to have been caused by exposure to radiation. "Atomic" vets who contract cancer of the bone, brain, colon, lung or ovary may apply for...

Gulf War illness panel established. (Service).
March 1, 2002... VA announced on Jan. 23 the formation of a new committee that will help direct VA's research of Gulf War veterans' illnesses. The 12-member Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will be led by Vietnam veteran James H....

Filipino vets' VA benefits doubled. (Service).
March 1, 2002... Filipino WWII vets living in the United States now will receive the same compensation for service-connected disabilities as U.S. veterans, according to a VA regulation published Dec. 27. Previously, they only were entitled to half the rate. ...

First Pentagon memorial dedicated. (Security).
March 1, 2002... The first official memorial to Sept. 11 victims was dedicated at the Pentagon in February. Located on the third-floor apex between corridors 9 and 10, it includes photos and biographies of all 184 who were killed at the building. Called...

FBI has new leads in Cole bombing. (Security).
March 1, 2002... A new spirit of cooperation--plus the threat of becoming the next Afghanistan--has inspired Yemen to work more diligently with the U.S. to provide clues to the terrorist attack on the USS Cole. "Working as partners, we have uncovered a...

Guard call-up hits communities. (Security).
March 1, 2002... The largest activation of Reservists and National Guardsmen since the Gulf War is beginning to tax local agencies where many of the troops work as civilian public-safety officers, according to a report in the Christian Science Monitor. ...

Bush requests largest ever VA hike. (Legislation).
March 1, 2002... The Bush Administration released its proposed 2003 VA budget on Feb. 4, and it contains the largest increase ever for the department. The $58 billion budget represents an 8.2%, or $6.1 billion, boost over 2002. VA Secretary Anthony Principi...

Bills would protect fed Reservists' pay. (Legislation).
March 1, 2002... Two bills pending in Congress would bridge the shortfall between federal employees' salaries and the pay they receive while called to active duty as Reservists and National Guardsmen. H.R. 3337 in the House and S. 1818 in the Senate--both...

VA pushes for Hispanic employment. (Employment).
March 1, 2002... In order to create "a diverse workforce to take care of our diverse veterans population," VA Secretary Anthony Principi signed a partnership agreement on Jan. 17 with the nation's largest association of Hispanic physicians. The Interamerican...

Vets preference urged for airport screeners. (Employment).
March 1, 2002... An Illinois congressman wants the Department of Transportation to guarantee that veterans will receive preference if they apply as federally employed airport screeners. Rep. Lane Evans (D-Ill.) said in January that the Transportation Security...

Patriotic songs possess therapeutic power: Victor Hugo said, "Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent." In wartime, music also serves a medicinal purpose.
March 1, 2002... Country singer Lee Greenwood's trademark song, God Bless the U.S.A., which rose to popularity during the Persian Gulf War, and others such as the Star-Spangled Banner and God Bless America, did more than swell the chest and bring tears to the...

Casualty count in Afghan campaign hits 20: accidental aviation mishaps push up the U.S. toll in the war on terrorism. (War On Terrorism).
March 1, 2002... Nine Marines were the latest fatal casualties in the Afghanistan campaign. In two separate crashes in January, Marine helicopters went down on land. In the worst single loss of the campaign, seven Marines died aboard a KC-130 tanker of...

Delta Force: secret wielders of death: for the last 25 years, stealthy Delta Force commandos have risked their lives in operations around the globe. But don't expect to hear about their exploits in Afghanistan or anywhere else. (War On Terrorism).
March 1, 2002... It could be the worst-kept secret in the Army. Officially, at least, the Army won't discuss Delta Force, its ultra-secret elite counterterrorism unit. Soldiers or Army documents might briefly mention the 1st Special Operations Detachment or 1st...

The Soviet-Afghan war: breaking the hammer & sickle: from 1980 to early 1989, the once-invincible Red Army became entrapped in Afghanistan. To avoid the same pitfalls, the U.S. need only keep from straying from its original military objectives. (War On Terrorism).
March 1, 2002... "One does not want to commit mistakes that have been committed by other people in the past," Gen. Tommy Franks, commander of the Afghan campaign, recently remarked in a thinly veiled reference to the Kremlin's military venture there. Indeed,...

'Milepost on a painful journey': after a debilitating battle, VA grants disability compensation to Persian Gulf War veterans with the fatal neurological disorder known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
March 1, 2002... After 10 years of mounting evidence one of the largest epidemiology studies ever conducted, the U.S. government has finally acknowledged that Persian Gulf War veterans are almost twice as likely to develop amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),...

What you should know about diabetes: learn the ins and outs of living with a disease that afflicts 20% of VA patients. (Cover Story).
March 1, 2002... If you answered false to all of these statements, you're right! Eating a lot of sugar, for example, is not particularly healthy. (For one thing, it can lead to tooth decay.) But it will not cause diabetes. Being obese from eating too much food...

Dealing with a diabetes disability: the 9% of Vietnam veterans with diabetes have been eligible for disability compensation since last July, but the human dimension to their story is only now emerging.
March 1, 2002... When free-lance writer John Davis began exhibiting signs of dehydration, fatigue and dizziness, he was concerned. Seen by his :family doctor's assistant, he wad told he was likely diabetic. "I got pretty lucky because her beat or specialty is...

Repaying a debt to fellow veterans: through their experience helping VFW member Barton Smithey, Dennis Fouts and Terry Lipovac show what DSOs can do for veterans. (VFW DSOs Help Navigate The System).
March 1, 2002... In 1997, Barton Smithey first met Dennis Fouts. A friend had gotten some help from Fouts, Iowa assistant Department service officer (DSO) and an Army vet of Vietnam (1968-69), and had recommended him to Smithey, a member of Post 1565 in...

USS Walke: navy's greatest combat loss: for this U.S. destroyer's crew, June 12, 1951, proved to be the deadliest day of the Korean War. But were the deaths due to a mine or torpedo? (Korean War).
March 1, 2002... Although the Korean War was fought mostly on the ground and in the air, the U.S. Navy played an important role, too--interdicting enemy supply routes, launching, planes from aircraft carriers and bombarding onshore enemy positions. While...

Trees bear 'silent witness': to honor WWII vets, VFW partnered with other organizations in a nationwide tree-planting event last spring. (Posts Honor WWII Veterans).
March 1, 2002... May 24, 2001, is a memorable day for the nation's WWII veterans. Operation Silent Witness kicked off then and concluded June 6, the anniversary of D-Day. In that two-week period, Dwight D. Eisenhower green ash trees--the official tree of...

Posts continue crusade of relief efforts. (VFW in action: VFW members and Posts demonstrating community service.).
March 1, 2002... From places such as Pleasanton, Calif., to Dunkirk, N.Y., reports of Post members aiding victims of the Sept. 11 attacks keep rolling in. On Sept. 21, Post 9064 in Elsberry, Mo., worked with the local fire district in raising $9,000....

Giving hope in the community. (VFW in action: VFW members and Posts demonstrating community service).
March 1, 2002... From children's hospitals to veterans care facilities, VFW members touch the lives of many through the generous contributions and kind deeds performed. In Torrington, Conn., aluminum tabs are big business. In little more than a year's...

'Can-do' attitude catapults Pacific Areas to membership lead in 2001. (membership).
March 1, 2002... Recruiters imbued with four attributes and armed with the Membership Kit push Department over 100%. It's not hard to figure why the Department of the Pacific Areas finished 2001 as the leader in membership growth. Besides having access to...

Working to your advantage: VFW member benefits. (member benefits).
March 1, 2002... The VFW Member Benefits Department offers a variety of valuable, voluntary benefits. For specific information on any of the programs listed below, please call us at (800) 821-2606, or complete the request form and return to VFW Member Benefits,...

Jest A Minute.
March 1, 2002... * Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were on a camping trip. Sherlock woke up and, seeing all the stars in the heavens above, woke Watson and said, "Watson, by seeing all of those stars, what would you deduce?" Looking up, Watson thought, then...

Reunions & claims.
March 1, 2002... REUNION COORDINATORS: To publicize your unit's reunion, fill out the form on page 48 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...