VFW Magazine articles from November 2002

VFW Magazine archives from November 2002

'War of the imagination': where do veterans fit in society's perception of the war on terrorism and public respect? (command post).(Editorial)
November 1, 2002... This past year has been an eventful one for Americans wearing a uniform. Fire fighters, law enforcement officers and emergency medical technicians have never ridden higher in American society. Recognition for their invaluable services on the...

Remembering all victims of terrorism. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2002... The recapitulation of the U.S. body count by radical Islamists, by nationality, demonstrates that which our government is reluctant to admit publicly. None of these acts were connected to anything but an abiding hatred of Americans. We might...

Accounting for the missing. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2002... Thanks for the timely "Unknown No Longer" concerning DNA and MIAs (September issue) by Gary Turbak. My brother, Navy Cmdr. John A. Feldhaus, was pictured on the cover. He was shot down over North Vietnam on Oct. 8, 1966, while flying a...

Treatment of U.S. POWs a disgrace. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2002... "Prisoners of Terror" (September) was excellent. This article should be sent to every member of Congress. Treatment of U.S. POWs held by terrorist regimes should be a VFW priority. Al Qaeda terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay live better...

In support of Triangle Hill. (mail call).(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2002... "Showdown on Triangle Hill" (September) by Richard Ecker was very interesting. Just for the record, B Battery, 625th Field Artillery Battalion, 40th Division, fired four days and four nights in support of the 7th Division in October 1952. So...

Submit your name for a free trip to Korea. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families).
November 1, 2002... For those who are selected, an all-expenses paid trip to Korea to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Korean War's end is being offered courtesy of a Korean business organization (it will make the selections). U.S. Forces Korea is...

Service, patriotism, history. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families).(Washington Post survey on patriotism and the military)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... According to the Washington Post, 81% of Americans say they are "very proud" of their armed forces (versus 47% who said the same in 1996). Most younger Americans, however, would not serve if called. When asked if they would volunteer for...

VFW members speak out on Iraq war. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families).(Veterans of Foreign Wars)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The Sept. 15 edition of the New York Times surveyed VFW members in microcosm at Post 1286 in Fishkill, N.Y., on the question of war with Iraq. Opinions covered the spectrum, found reporter Matthew Purdy. VFW member Noel R. Schetter said taking...

Phony vet gets jail time. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families).(veteran Edward Lee Daily)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Edward Lee Daily of ClarksVille, Tenn., infamous for fabricating tales about atrocities at No Gun Ri in Korea in 1950, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for defrauding the government. By submitting phony medical claims, he had defrauded...

Things to see and do. (Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families).
November 1, 2002... * If you would like to send cards or letters to ailing WWII vet and cartoonist Bill Mauldin, address them to: Bill Mauldin, C/O Gordon Dillow, Orange County Register, 625 N. Grand Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92701. E-mail: gldillow@aol.com. * For...

Get that flu shot. (Service).
November 1, 2002... Adults 50 and over should be vaccinated against influenza unless they have experienced certain conditions, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends. Since strains of virus vary annually, a specific vaccine is developed for...

VA answers women vets' questions. (Service).(www.va.gov/womenvet)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... A section of VA's Web site offers answers to the 25 most-asked questions from women veterans. Located at www.va.gov/womenvet, the site gives women veterans direct access to the Center for Women Veterans. They can express concerns, ask questions...

POW compensation could increase. (Legislation).(Former Prisoners of War Special Compensation Act)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... A bill introduced in July would grant compensation to former U.S. POWs. H.R. 5235--the Former Prisoners of War Special Compensation Act--would create a new POW compensation system administered by VA instead of the Pentagon. The new system...

Eight Korean War remains returned. (Security).(missing in action)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Army search teams in September recovered eight sets of remains believed to be U.S. Korean War soldiers. The remains were returned to the Army's Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii (CILHI) for identification. One CILHI search team...

Agreement reached on Burma MIA searches. (Security).(missing in action)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... For the first time, Myanmar (formerly Burma) has agreed to allow U.S. search teams within its borders to look for the remains of World War II MIAs. The agreement will allow teams from the Army's Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii...

This we believe.(the need for improved services for veterans)
November 1, 2002... "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation." --George...

Vietnam memorial celebrates 20th anniversary: this Veterans Day marks an especially poignant anniversary over and above its normal importance. Twenty years ago this month the nation paid fitting tribute to the 58,229 Americans who died in the Vietnam War. As the pictorial reminds us, VFW played an instrumental role in making it all happen.(Veterans of Foreign Wars)
November 1, 2002... Ten years after America's war ended, the national Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated to the 58,229 Americans who died in Indochina. An estimated 150,000 people crowded the Mall in Washington, D.C., to observe five days of ceremonies that...

American deaths in the war on Islamist terrorism: since the campaign was launched in Afghanistan in October 2001, 51 Americans have died in that war zone as well as the Philippines. Those killed by enemy action total 14. The remainder died in accidents or "friendly fire." (War On Terrorism).(names, ranks, dates of death)(Illustration)
November 1, 2002... Oct. 8, 2002 Marine Lance Cpl. Antonio J. Sledd, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, ambush, KIA, Kuwait Oct. 2 Army Sgt. 1st Class Mark W. Jackson, 1st Special Forces Group, bomb explosion, KIA,...

WWII vets: public perceptions and popular portrayals: WWII veterans have been the rage in certain circles for five years now. But has popular culture really captured their correct collective image?
November 1, 2002... Since the 50th anniversary of World War II in the 1990s, Americans have grown increasingly fascinated with that epic conflict. In the past dozen years, Hollywood has released several big-budget motion pictures about the war, most notably Steven...

Calamity at desert one: on April 25, 1980, eight American servicemen died in the first modern U.S. hostile confrontation with militant Islam. The failed rescue of 53 American hostages held by the Khomeini regime in Iran had far-reaching repercussions.(failed 1980 attempt to free hostages)
November 1, 2002... There is a hushed field of shattered dreams located in a desolate wasteland where American fighting men died without ever engaging the enemy. The place has no crosses, no memorial, yet it marks the site of the opening skirmish of this country's...

Cracking the 'axis of evil': Iran vs. the 'great satan': in the war on terrorism, the Iranian regime is a continuing threat to the U.S.--one that can't be ignored.(continued harboring of terrorists)
November 1, 2002... It's been more than a year since President Bush issued a warning to governments harboring or sponsoring terrorists. Yet one of the biggest threats in the U.S.-led war on Islamist terrorism remains undaunted. It's no big secret that Iran exports...

VP Cheney's war speech puts VFW in spotlight: VFW's 103rd National Convention in Nashville, Tenn., focused on VFW's efforts to support active-duty troops, memorialize those killed and assist their families. (VFW National Convention 2002).(Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vice President Richard B. Cheney)
November 1, 2002... At VFW's 103rd National Convention--dedicated to all U.S. troops serving in the war on terrorism--VFW members honored those killed, while renewing their commitment to helping their families. Members of the Bush Administration, supporters of...

Convention competition winners: posts, districts and departments gave their all during competitions and contests in Nashville.(Veterans of Foreign Wars convention, 2003)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 1, 2002... PATRIOTIC RALLY Best Appearing Senior Men's VFW Color Guard Department of Wisconsin Best Appearing Senior Ladies VFW Auxiliary Color Guard Department of Arkansas RITUALISTIC COMPETITION First Place ...

All-American commanders: the following All-American commanders distinguished themselves during the 2001-02 year.(honored at the 2003 Veterans of Foreign Wars convention)(Illustration)
November 1, 2002... DEPARTMENT Alaska Gary Kurpius Arizona Lawrence E. Reinhardt Arkansas Harold Harris Colorado Phil Phillips Delaware Jesse E. Kitson Europe Peter J. Mascetti Florida Eugene Leshore Georgia Billy W. Smith ...

Engineers in combat: combat engineers are builders by trade, but in Korea they also served as infantrymen. Three of them earned the Medal of Honor posthumously. (Korean War).
November 1, 2002... In Korea, one side or the other seemed always in forceful advance--or hasty retreat. Roads, bridges and other infrastructure that one day served an attacking U.S. Army might the next day merit destruction to slow a pursuing enemy. Building,...

Relaying vet news via cable TV: an innovative upper Midwestern cable TV show reports on veterans stories and issues. And it is on the air thanks to two dedicated members of VFW Post 1215 in Rochester, Minn.('Vets Visits' cable television show)
November 1, 2002... "I noticed a real void in media coverage of veterans activities," says Jerry Barnhart, Rochester, Minn., founder and CEO of Vets Visits on TV "You get sound bites, 30-second segments. I wanted to do something more in-depth." In 1997, the...

A tribute to Bob Hope: monument designed to rediscover and appreciate the significance of Hope's wartime service.(located at the Port of San Diego, California)
November 1, 2002... Plans are currently under way for a tribute to legendary comedian Bob Hope in recognition of his efforts for U.S. servicemen and women. Planned for a waterfront site in the Port of San Diego, the $10 million tribute will be dedicated on May 29,...

Students pay tribute to veterans. (VFW in action).(Veterans Day tribute in Lake Isabella, California)
November 1, 2002... A California Post teams up with youngsters to honor veterans. Members of Post 7665 in Lake Isabella, Calif., participated in a memorable Veterans Day tribute in 2001. Students of Piute Mountain School presented a patriotic program to the...

Vietnam Veterans have been eligible for VFW since 1962. (membership).(Veterans of Foreign Wars)
November 1, 2002... Some 3.4 million Americans earned the Vietnam Service Medal from 1965 to 1973. Veterans of Vietnam can take pride in being recipients of the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM), an award symbolizing honorable service and great sacrifice. ...

Preserving lifelong memories. (member benefits).(Veterans of Foreign Wars)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... VFW is now providing VFW members and their families a tool to chronicle and celebrate their life stories. Using VFW's Web site, members can share writings, images and documents with friends and family who have Internet access. Or families can...

Jest a minute.
November 1, 2002... * A lawyer was riding in his limousine when he saw a family eating grass by the side of the road. He ordered his driver to stop the car. "why are you eating grass?" he asked the father. "We don't have any money for food," the man replied....

Reunions & claims.
November 1, 2002... 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, 405 W. 34th St., Suite...