VFW Magazine articles from October 2003

VFW Magazine archives from October 2003

'Devoting brain and heart': in his acceptance speech, the Chief outlined some of the issues facing veterans today as well as organizational challenges ahead.(command post)
October 1, 2003... Our organization must stay focused on achieving excellence in all of VFW's founding principles--caring for veterans, advocating a strong defense, promoting patriotism and providing community service. Of course, caring for the health needs...

'On Killing in Combat' stirs reactions.(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... "Hidden Wounds: On Killing in Combat" (August) by David Grossman was so very good it prompted me, for the first time, to communicate my views to the editor. I only hope that you continue to publish compelling articles such as this one. ...

War zone vs. combat duty debated.(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... Editor's Note: Wilfred E. Herbert's letter in the August Mail Call prompted heated rebuttals. Here is a sampling. Narrow and antiquated perceptions of war and combat will not entice the new members we need to remain a viable advocate for...

Giving one's life for the nation.(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... "For the Men Who Do the Dying" (August) was excellent. My condolences to the mother who lost her son in Iraq. He did a lot with his life--he gave it for this nation. Related articles in the August issue are very pointed and on the mark....

West Coast sites added to list.(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... "Traveling the Trails of America's Military Past" (August) was great. Since you invited additions, I am submitting the Liberty ship SS Jeremiah O'Brien docked at Pier 45 in San Francisco Bay. Stan Hazlak, Vallejo, Calif. Editor's...

Proud of the 173rd Airborne in Iraq.(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... It made me so incredibly proud to open up the August issue and see the story "Jumping Into the Iraq War." It is by far the best I've read on the 173rd Airborne Brigade and so much closer to what my son (Spec. Adam Boyle) told me happened--the...

Korean War vets & popular culture.(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... Thanks for the excellent article, "Korean War Vets Missing from Popular Culture" (August) by Mark Van Ells. It clearly shows how veterans of this war have been slighted, sometimes maligned and often forgotten. They should be recognized and...

Libya, Lockerbie and France.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)(international implications of settlement for Pan Am Flight 103 victimes)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The 15-year saga of holding accountable the Libyan terrorists who blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in December 1988, has taken another turn. In August, a deal was reportedly worked out whereby Libya would compensate the...

Judge backs Beirut families.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)(families of Marines killed in Beirut barracks attack in 1983)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... In a ruling in favor of families participating in a lawsuit against Iran, federal judge Royce Lamberth wrote in his opinion that he wanted to "take steps that will punish the men who carried out this unspeakable attack, and in so doing, try to...

Media viewed skeptically.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)(media viewpoint of war coverage)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Some 70% of Americans want news media outlets to embrace "a decidedly 'pro-American' viewpoint," according to a recent Pew Research Center for the People and the Press poll. But only about half of those surveyed believe the media currently...

D-Day recollections wanted.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)
October 1, 2003... Normandy vets are requested to submit eyewitness accounts to the Caen Memorial in France. The best letters will be included in a publication called D-Day Words and will form part of an exhibit there from March 2004 through January 2005 that...

Observing the Cold War.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Last May, Rep. Dennis Moore (D-Kan.), in the Congressional Record, highlighted the proclamations issued by the governors of Kansas and Wisconsin declaring May 1 an annual day for observing America's victory in the Cold War. Moore is advocating...

Top foreign policy priorities.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)(public opinion poll results)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... According to a Wall Street Journal NBC News poll, 26% of Americans see the war on terrorism as the most important objective in foreign affairs. This was followed by North Korea's nuclear program (19%), Middle East peace negotiations (14%),...

Supporting the troops.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)(programs to support military families)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Jenessa Largent (age 12) and her family of White Bear Lake, Minn., have made and sent more than 34,000 commemorative bracelets to relatives of GIs overseas. Her project, called Harms Way 4 Kids, has orders for 20,000 more bracelets. Information...

VA prescription plan clarified.(Service)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Some 200,000 veterans who have been waiting to see a VA physician for the first time may be able to receive medications from VA mail-out pharmacies that were prescribed by private doctors. To be eligible, veterans must have: * enrolled in...

VA proposes closing seven hospitals.(Service)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... As part of VA's 20-year strategic plan to streamline and modernize its health care system, VA Undersecretary for Health Robert Roswell proposed on Aug. 4 that seven VA hospitals be closed. They are located in Livermore, Calif.; Lexington, Ky.;...

Pneumonia claims two GIs in Iraq.(Service)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Two soldiers have died from pneumonia in Iraq: Army Sgt. Michael Trosto on June 17 in Baghdad and Spec. Joshua Neusche on July 12 after being airlifted to Germany. Some 100 U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar and Uzbekistan were...

Health care task force report debated.(Legislation)(President's Task Force to Improve Health Care Delivery for Our Nation's Veterans )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... A report issued by a federal task force in May (Washington Wire, August 2003) has sparked debate between two senior members on the House VA Committee. At issue is the recommendation from the President's Task Force to Improve Health Care...

Veteran friendly lawmakers face backlash.(Legislation)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Several Republican legislators who bucked their party's leadership and voted against a VA funding bill they believe was inadequate could face repercussions. They essentially agreed with VFW that the House "deceived" veterans by approving a VA...

White House backs danger pay raise.(Security)(armed forces pay raise to those in imminent danger zones)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The White House announced in August that it supports retaining imminent danger pay at $225 monthly. A temporary increase--from $150, which Congress approved in April--was set to expire on Sept. 30. The White House said it hoped Congress would...

Gulf War pilot probably KIA.(Security)(Michael Scott Speicher)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The only MIA of the Persian Gulf War was most likely killed in action, according to U.S. officials investigating his case. Navy pilot Michael Scott Speicher's F-18 fighter was shot down and crashed in west-central Iraq on Jan. 17, 1991. He...

World War II crash sites searched.(Security)(attempting to find remains of airmen)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Investigators searched four sites in August and September attempting to return the remains of World War II airmen. Two sites were in Germany, one was in Belgium and one in Albania. At Westeregeln, Germany, a 13-member team from the Army's...

Marines remember Beirut 20 years later: it has been two decades since the Hezbollah terrorist bombing in Beirut claimed the lives of 241 Americans, but the survivors still recall it as if it were yesterday.(RELATED ARTICLE: Hezbollah: 'a blood debt to the U.S.')
October 1, 2003... At 6 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23, 1983, Dave Madaras awoke to another sweltering day in Beirut, Lebanon. Madaras was a fire direction controller for C Btry., 1st Bn., 10th Marines. His unit had arrived in Beirut and became part of the...

Memorializing the noble act of Marines in Lebanon: citizens of Jacksonville, N.C., pulled together and in 1986 dedicated a permanent reminder to the sacrifices of Marines in Beirut.(The Guardian of Peace memorial)
October 1, 2003... The building served as headquarters for Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, 24th Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU). Of the Marines and sailors who lay sleeping, 241 died. Many others suffered grave injuries. Most of the dead and wounded...

Grenada remembered with pride: some 20,000 Americans served on or around Grenada between Oct. 23 and Nov. 21, 1983--19 were killed and 116 wounded. The experience was positive for most who view the mission as a success.(Operation Urgent Fury)
October 1, 2003... Oct. 13, 1983, a Marxist coup overthrew the government of the small Caribbean island of Grenada. The regime raised serious concerns among Grenada's neighboring island leaders because of its radical leanings and friendly relations with...

Memories of Somalia remain vivid: ten years later, veterans of Somalia recall with mixed emotions their time in East Africa.(Operation Restore Hope)
October 1, 2003... A decade ago, in October 1993, U.S. troops were deployed in an East African country being consumed by starvation. Many of its citizens lived in fear of a despotic warlord, General Aidid, and his unpredictable followers. America's armed...

With France like this, who needs enemies? What motivated French President Chirac to aggressively undermine U.S. policy in Iraq? Will the alliance between Paris and Washington endure?(RELATED ARTICLE: 'Undeniably and horribly savage': the French in Algeria)
October 1, 2003... When France refused to back American actions in Iraq earlier this year, that nation instantly became an object of scorn and the butt of jokes. One example: How many Frenchmen does it take to defend Paris? Answer: No one knows; it's never been...

Courage and conviction will make VFW excel, says Chief: personal beliefs are a great motivating factor in achieving results, says Commander-in-Chief Ed Banas. That's why he intends to promote them vigorously.
October 1, 2003... Spring 1966 through early 1967 was a time of large-scale offensives in Vietnam. The war was heating up, creating tension throughout the country. This included coastal enclaves like Qui Nhon, a major supply base in II Corps. A GI named Ed Banas...

Leading the organization.(Veterans of Foreign Wars executive)
October 1, 2003... At each national convention, chair officers are elected and other leaders appointed for the forthcoming year. The chair officers are selected from various conferences so each region has a turn at being represented in the ranks of the national...

Battle of Chu Lai: the Main Force Viet Cong were poised for an attack on Chu Lai in August 1965, but their plans were foiled in a "spoiling attack" by Marines in what would be the first major U.S. battle of the Vietnam War.(Deadliest Vietnam Battles)
October 1, 2003... Gen. Lewis W. "Silent Lew" Walt, commanding general of the III MAF (Marine Amphibious Force), was in a quandary. Intelligence revealed that the 1st VC (Viet Cong) Regiment was massing for an assault on the airfield at Chu Lai, South Vietnam....

Learn while you travel: if you are 55 or older, don't miss the golden opportunities offered by Elderhostel to become a globe-trotter.
October 1, 2003... Are you (or your spouse) on the wise side of 55? Do you like to travel? Interested in expanding your horizons? Do you like meeting new people? Then you really should look into Elderhostel. Elderhostel is a non-profit organization dedicated...

Veterans return to Korea for closure; through a lottery, some 400 American Korean War vets met in Seoul to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Korean War's end.(VFW in action)
October 1, 2003... In the company of 141 veterans, Commander-in-Chief Ed Banas flew to Korea for the 50th anniversary of the signing of the armistice. Of those veterans, he said one-third were VFW members. When the plane landed in Seoul, Banas said there was...

Membership.(Veterans of Foreign Wars membership drives)
October 1, 2003... In Recognition Member recruitment is the lifeblood of the organization. And those who lead the membership drives in the Departments should be acknowledged. To accord them the recognition they deserve, VFW magazine is publishing the...

Reunions & claims.(Calendar)
October 1, 2003... REUNION COORDINATORS: To publicize your unit's reunion, fill out the form on page 47 of the February 2003 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...