VFW Magazine articles from November 2004

VFW Magazine archives from November 2004

Celebrating a VFW milestone.(command post)(veterans of foreign wars)(American Veterans of Foreign Service)(Column)
November 1, 2004... VFW marks a milestone this month--the 100th anniversary of its magazine. It comes at a time when a new generation of vets needs a voice. VFW has every right to be especially proud this Veterans Day. VFW magazine has been the voice of the...

September issue 'right on'.(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... The September issue is one of the best in the year that I have been a member. Issues Up Front, Mail Call, Now Hear This and Washington Wire all had interesting items. "Young Vets Voice Their Views on VFW's Future" is right on. For the VFW...

Magazine covers moving.(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I was recently medevaced out of Iraq where I have lost friends. I am grappling with that loss with difficulty. Your Memorial Day cover in May was the most compelling portrayal of grief I have seen from this war. I was very moved by it. It is a...

What young vets want.(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I am a 28-year-old Army Reserve vet of Iraq, returning from the Middle East this past May after 13 months. I recently became a VFW member so September was my first issue. I agree with your findings at the end of "Young Vets Voice Their Views on...

Vet clubs play key role.(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Thanks for the excellent article--"Campus Veterans Clubs Boost Camaraderie & Careers" (September). I felt it gave a very realistic view of campus groups and their needs. People have been calling and e-mailing me from all around the nation,...

Thoughts on the GI Bill.(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Re: "GI Bill Needs 21st Century Upgrade" (September). VFW should not advocate abolishing the participant's $1,200 buy-in to the Montgomery GI Bill It is an investment no one can afford to pass up. Investors in the stock market would love to get...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
November 1, 2004... Spc. Nickolas Moran is a life member of Post 2113 in De Pere. Wis. (VFW in Action, September, p. 42). James D. Storozuk was incorrectly identified as Post commander; he is a member only. Also, he served just 6 months with the 5th Special...

'Living in the past'.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)(veterans)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... In the Sept. 6, 2004, issue of Army Times, Robert F. Dorr made some interesting observations about major veterans groups. "I'd like to ask why the nation's large veterans groups seem so out of touch with America--even with the active-duty...

Iraq vets organizing.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)(Operation Truth)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are already beginning to organize. One group, called Operation Truth, was launched Aug, 24 by Paul Rieckhoff, a New York Army National Guard vet of the 3rd Infantry Division in Iraq. His group...

'Honoring' draft dodgers.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... A town in western Canada planned a monument to American draft dodgers from the Vietnam War. Now it will be located on private land near Nelson, British Columbia. The bronze statue of "a Canadian helping two scared American men" was to be...

NPRC rumor false.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)
November 1, 2004... Apparently, an Internet rumor is circulating that the National Archives & Records Administration will be scanning its military record holdings onto a computer, and that the paper files will be destroyed unless veterans request the originals be...

Vietnam center progressing.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... In September, the architectural firm of Polshek Partnership Architects was Selected to head the design team for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Education Center in Washington, D.C. The exhibition Designer will be Ralph Appelbaum Associates of New...

Intrepid fallen heroes fund.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)(Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund)(Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The New York City-based Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum's Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund for Iraq casualties has raised $18 million: $3.5 million from Kuwait and $1 million each from Avon and Anheuser-Busch.

No VFW ties to Celestial.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)(Celestial Burial Case)(Veterans of Foreign Wars)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... In May 2002, VFW terminated its agreement with Celestial Burial Case and has notified the company to cease and desist from using the VFW name or emblem.

21 cancers linked to radiation exposure: here is the latest information on seeking compensation for atomic vets with radiogenic cancers.(issues up front)
November 1, 2004... Help is available for America's atomic vets. Nearly 200,000 GIs occupied Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan after World War II. Another 200,000 participated in about 235 nuclear-weapons tests between 1945 and 1962 in New Mexico, Nevada and the...

Three GIs Killed in Afghanistan.(Security)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Three U.S. soldiers were killed Sept. 20 in Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Robert S. Goodwin and Staff Sgt. Tony B. Olaes, both of the 2nd Bn., 3rd Special Forces Group, died when enemy forces using small arms and rocket-propelled grenades attacked...

U.S. remains found in North Korea.(Security)(remains )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Remains of what are believed to be GIs killed in the Korean War were repatriated in September. The precise number of remains will be determined in forensic examinations at the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) laboratory at Hickam Air...

U.S. wants access to KGB archives.(Security)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... In an effort to determine if U.S. POWs from the Korean and Vietnam wars were held in the Soviet Union, the American in charge of searching for missing GIs says his researchers need access to the still-classified KGB archives. "It's likely...

Bill would help wounded GIs.(Legislation)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... VFW-backed legislation introduced in September would assist soldiers wounded in war transition back to civilian life. H.R. 5057--Disabled Veterans Transition Assistance Act of 2004--would provide additional resources to expand the Pentagon's...

Guard/reserve job rights published online.(Employment)
November 1, 2004... The Department of Labor announced in September that it has proposed new regulations that will protect the employment rights of National Guardsmen and Reservists who are called to active duty. Labor published amendments to the Uniformed Services...

An agenda for action.(Key National Issues)
November 1, 2004... Listed below are VFW's official positions on national issues. They are based on national convention resolutions and rated as priorities by their respective committees. LEGISLATIVE VA BUDGET * Ensure needed funding is authorized...

Vets down on their luck find safe harbor: this Minnesota program has assisted some 2,600 veterans, giving them a helping hand and a chance for a new start. VFW Posts and members play an instrumental role.
November 1, 2004... On a quiet street in Minneapolis sits a quaint stucco cottage. With its hardwood floors, arched doorways and cozy fireplace, it's a house most people would be proud to call home. In the kitchen window sit plump tomatoes freshly picked from the...

VFW magazine: voice of the veteran for a century.(Cover Story)
November 1, 2004... VFW magazine has reached a milestone few other publications can claim: It celebrates 100 years of publishing this month. For a century, it has been the voice of the overseas veteran. Today, VFW is counted among the top 50 magazines (in...

Recognizing Cold War service: an estimated 22 million veterans and former federal employees are eligible for the Cold War Recognition Certificate.(Cold War Recognition Certificate )
November 1, 2004... Approved in 1998, the Cold War Recognition Certificate was created as a substitute for an actual medal. This decision was and remains controversial among many veterans, although the certificate has proved popular. To date, 728,312 certificates...

Cold War operations: covered by campaign medals.(Illustration)
November 1, 2004... Six officially authorized campaign medals currently encompass various military, actions that constitute the Cold War. Army of Occupation Medal Italy (Yugoslav Border, Trieste) May 9, 1945-Sep 15, 1947 Germany (except...

Delving into the deep south: Part II.
November 1, 2004... Trip 8: Southeast Florida and Georgia These southeastern states were strategic battlegrounds during two centuries. Armies clashed on their landscapes from the Spanish colonial era through the Civil War. Today, they are home to key...

States memorialize their Vietnam War dead.
November 1, 2004... This is the sixth installment in the continuing series on state Vietnam War memorials. These states honor their residents killed in the war with public memorials that contain names. If your state is among those without a distinct Vietnam...

'Nine Days in May': from May 18-26, 1967, the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade engaged in a series of five continuous battles along the Cambodian border. Valor was evident all the way.
November 1, 2004... The soldiers proceeded cautiously through the jungle highlands west of Pleiku, near the Cambodian border, on the morning of May t8, 1967. The men were part of Operation Francis Marion, aimed at stopping the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) from...

Iraq--a final salute: VFW magazine presents this memorial listing in tribute to the 68 Americans killed between Aug. 8 and Sept. 6, 2004, in Iraq.
November 1, 2004... Deaths to Enemy Action Air Force Airman 1st Class Carl L. Anderson, Jr., 3rd Logistics Readiness Sqdn., Georgetown, S.C. Army Staff Sgt. Elvis Bourdon, 1st Bn., 9th Cav, 1st Cav Div., Youngstown, Ohio Pfc. Kevin A....

Iraq vet firm in his beliefs: this VFW life member is ready to head back to war, wounds permitting.(young vets in focus)(Biography)
November 1, 2004... Paul Brondhaver has always had a soft spot in his heart for children. Since 1989, he has worked as director for various community, centers in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area, most recently at the Mt. Washington Recreation Center. So it comes as...

Chief underscores need for mental health support for war vets: John Furgess is honored for his work on behalf of veterans.(VFW in action: VFW members and Posts demonstrating community service.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Commander-in-Chief John Furgess was welcomed home to Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 16-19. Highlighting that celebration was a banquet featuring VA Secretary Anthony Principi who addressed a critical issue: the emotional toll of war. Although...

Readers debate changing VFW's status quo.(membership)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... September's "Membership" article sparked interest, drawing responses from readers. The article dealt with reforming the structure and practices of the Masons, but many VFW members noted that the changes could be applied to their own...

Pentagon Federal Credit Union membership now open to all VFW members.(member benefits)(Veterans of Foreign Wars)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... With the merger of the Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PFCU) and the VFW Credit Union, VFW members and their families are eligible for membership in one of the world's leading financial institutions. PFCU stands by those who safeguard our...

Jest a minute.
November 1, 2004... * A young preacher was asked by the local funeral director to hold a graveside burial service at a local cemetery for a man with no living family or friends. The preacher started on his way to the cemetery early, but quickly got lost. ...

Reunions & claims.
November 1, 2004... REUNION COORDINATORS: To publicize your unit's reunion, fill out the form on page 50 of the February 2004 VFW magazine or print out a form from VFW's Web site: http://www/wfw.org/magazine/51.shtml. Send to VFW magazine, 406 W. 34th St., Suite...

Black listed cancer treatment could save your life.(Advertisement)
November 1, 2004... Baltimore, MD -- As unbelievable as it seems the key to stopping many cancers has been around for over 30 years. Yet it has been harmed. Blocked, And kept out of your medicine cabinet by the very agency designed to protect your health--the FDA....

September questions: should VFW extend eligibility to overseas Cold War veterans?(Sound off: views of VFW members on topics of interest to veterans.)
November 1, 2004... No effort should be made to ammend VFW bylaws to admit overseas Cold War veterans. Membenhip should be restricted to veterans who have been awarded a campaign medal for a foreign war. Joseph T. McCulley, Tennessee Though I was...