VFW Magazine articles from October 2004

VFW Magazine archives from October 2004

Riding the tough road ahead: challenges confronting veterans in the 21st century may appear insurmountable, but VFW members have what it takes to meet them.(command post)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... In accepting my current position at the national convention, I outlined several pressing issues that demand our immediate attention as an organization. Please let me share the highlights of that speech with you in this column. Right now,...

Cover evokes strong emotions.(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... Never in my life have I been so affected by a picture as I was by the August cover. The joy on the faces of Cpl. Jose Gomez and his son defy written description. All Americans should see this photograph and realize that our soldiers are not...

Warriors of every stature return.(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... I was delighted to view the pictures of "America's Warriors Return" (August). The captain just to the left of the battalion commander, though challenged in height, is no less a Marine in every sense of the word. Frank Kramer, Sheridan,...

Air force museum aircraft correctly identified.(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... Editor's Note: As 50 of our readers pointed out, the aircraft on page 26 ("Where Eagles Rest," August issue) was certainly not a Navy Hellcat. It was originally known as an NA-57, later designated a BT-9 (a basic trainer). The scene portrays...

Young vets in focus a hit with readers.(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... Re: "Patriot, Hero, Role Model" (August). I read with much interest and emotion the article written about Cpl. Pat Tillman. As a former police detective in Maine, I can recite countless examples of people in his age-range who did not act with...

Veterans travel series a 'great service'.(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... "A Glance at the Great Lakes States" (August) prompted me to write. I am so very pleased to see this article in the Veterans Travel Series. And I am disgusted with myself for not saving all the trips in the series. Hopefully, all 50 states will...

LZ Bird: "interesting & informative".(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... "Steady Stand at LZ Bird" (August) by Al Hemingway was interesting, enjoyable and informative. Capt. Leonard Shlenker, whose actions were described in the article, was a great man. Reading his name gave my day a breath of fresh air and made me...

VA budget under fire.(mail call)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... Re: "VA Budget Lacking" (August) in the new Issues Up Front department. I disagree with mandatory spending. It is the prime reason the U.S. has been running a deficit almost every year. The nation has an obligation to provide benefits to...

Iraq prison scandal tarnishing all GIs?(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)
October 1, 2004... The report of an independent investigative panel was released in August pertaining to Abu Ghraib prison abuses. It noted that of 50,000 detainees bald in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, only a fraction of a percent (66 cases) of...

VA hospital usage on rise.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... According to VA statistics, 4.7 million veterans, or 19% of the total 25 million vets living in America, used VA medical care in 2004. By 2022, the population of veterans is projected to drop by 32% to 16.9 million. But those using the VA...

Honoring the troops in style.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Louisiana may have set the standard when it staged a huge party for its 256th Infantry Brigade at Fort Hood, Texas, in August. Called "Salute Our Troops" the bash treated the 3,400 citizen-soldiers and 600 other state troops to grand...

States support their soldiers.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The National Governors Association recently surveyed states with mobilized National Guard and Reserve units and found that support came in six areas: state employees, educational benefits, tax & financial benefits, family support, licensing &...

Boosting morale for WIA.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Nearly 150 Americans had lost one or more limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan as of August. All told, 6,113 GIs had been wounded. Some 741 battle wounded have been treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Treatment costs totaled $42.3 million in...

Small town sacrifices in war.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... "Rural America is certainly paying a very high price for freedom against the guerrillas in Iraq and terrorists in Afghanistan," says Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.). "They are more than carrying the burden on their shoulders." Less than 23% of...

Powell plugs Cold war.(Now hear this: brief news items of interest to veterans and their families.)
October 1, 2004... In a speech to VFW attendees at the national convention banquet, Secretary of State Colin Powell reminded listeners of the importance of the Cold War in U.S. history. To honor vets of that war, VFW published Cold War Clashes: Confronting...

Veterans and defense issues.(issues up front)(Illustration)
October 1, 2004... Veterans and Defense Issues Here's where the two major parties stand on topics relevant to veterans. ISSUE REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM "We must honor our commitment to the 25 million PLANK ...

Election year trivia.(Washington wire: news from VFW's Washington Office)
October 1, 2004... Here are some interesting facts and figures concerning veterans and how they plan to vote in the upcoming presidential election. * "The nation's 26.4 million veterans do not vote as a bloc and have generally ignored military, status in...

VFW stances on key issues.(Washington wire: news from VFW's Washington Office)(Veterans of Foreign Wars )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... In this crucial election year, here are some of the issues on which to rate candidates. These 14 resolutions approved at VFW's most recent convention state the organization's positions on veterans-related matters raised during the 2004...

'Too busy' to vote.(Washington wire: news from VFW's Washington Office)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
October 1, 2004... According to a November 200 Census Bureau Survey, 19 million registered voters did not vote in the last presidential election. Here are the reasons: Too busy/out of town 31% Other, refused or not...

Three GIs killed in Afghanistan.(Security)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Two National Guardsmen and a regular were killed in Afghanistan in August. Staff Sgt. Craig W. Cherry and Sgt. Bobby E. Beasley, both of the Virginia National Guard and assigned to the 3rd Bn., 116th Infantry, 1st Bde., 29th Inf. Div.,...

Vietnam war MIA identified.(Security)(Missing In Action )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The remains of a U.S. airman who was missing for nearly 40 years were identified and returned to his family recently, according to an August news release from the Pentagon. Chief Master Sgt. Luther L. Rose of Howe, Texas, had been missing...

Korean war remains returned.(Security)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Joint U.S.-North Korean search teams in July found two sets of remains believed to be those of U.S. soldiers from the Korean War. The teams, which included 28 Americans from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) in Hawaii, found the...

Bacteria not cause of Gulf War illness.(Service)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... After a year's study on sick Gulf War veterans, VA researchers have ruled out bacterial infections as the cause of their ailments. Results of the study were published July 20 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The experiment tracked 491...

Bush & Kerry on vet issues.
October 1, 2004... Where do the major party presidential candidates stand on the issues? VFW magazine found out directly from President George W. Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry. VFW magazine was among those publications represented during a joint interview aboard...

VFW political action committee endorsements for 2004.
October 1, 2004... The following incumbents and non-incumbents have received the VFW-PAC endorsement for the Senate (in bold print) and House of Representatives as indicated. These individuals have a voting record supporting, or have demonstrated their support...

Presidential candidates seek vets approval at VFW's National Convention: contenders for the Oval Office debate the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the fate of their veterans.(Veterans of Foreign Wars )
October 1, 2004... VFW's 105th National Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, garnered much media attention nationwide after the presidential candidates squared off on issues of concern to veterans. Held Aug. 14-20, the event provided a forum for President George...

All-American Commanders: the following All-American Commanders have distinguished themselves during the 2003-04 year.
October 1, 2004... DEPARTMENT Alaska Michael D Higdon Arizona Frank V. Page California Henry H. Wadahara Colorado Ronald J. Lattin Connecticut Rodman M. Fulton District of Columbia Claudio B. Pedery, Jr. Europe Dean A. White ...

Celebrating service: for Commander-in-Chief John Furgess, commemorating service to country and community is foremost.
October 1, 2004... The year 1967 proved to be pivotal for one of the most bloodied Army divisions of the Vietnam War. That fall the Americal (23rd) Division was formed on the battlefield in I Corps. Before the war was over, it would sustain the third largest...

Leading the organization.(Veterans of Foreign Wars's members)
October 1, 2004... 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...

Iraq--a final salute.
October 1, 2004... VFW magazine presents this memorial listing in tribute to the 68 Americans killed between July 2 and Aug. 7, 2004, in Iraq. Deaths to Enemy Action Air Force Staff Sgt. Dustin W. Peters, 314th Logistics Readiness Sqdn., El Dorado,...

Public release of $2 bill at face value continues: time is running out for public to get them.
October 1, 2004... (SYNDICATED)--Hoards of people are jamming National Hotline phones to get $2 bills for face value. Some collectors are trying to snatch up all they can. The crisp, uncirculated $2 bills are being banded in packs of five and sent...

States memorialize their Vietnam war dead.
October 1, 2004... This is the fifth installment in the continuing series on state Vietnam War veterans 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...

Vets lead successful battle to keep hospital open: VFW Posts demonstrate the value of political activism in preserving the VA medical center in Canandaigua, N.Y.
October 1, 2004... The small Finger Lakes community of Canandaigua, N.Y., was devastated in August 2003 when a draft report submitted to the Department of Veterans Affairs recommended closing the Canandaigua Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), the city's...

With pen in hand, young GIs find their voice: a new arts initiative encourages returning troops to express their experiences through the written word.(young vets in focus)
October 1, 2004... Since U.S. warriors went in search of the elusive Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and later entered Iraq, great stories have been made. There are accounts of common people doing extraordinary things in foreign lands. These are stories that,...

Vets compete for athletic honors.(VFW in action: VFW members and Posts demonstrating community service.)(National Veterans Golden Age Games )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... More than 500 veterans showcased their athletic abilities during the 18th annual National Veterans Golden Age Games in July in Fresno, Calif. Contributing $150,000 this year alone, VFW has helped sponsor this VA event for the past 10 years. ...

In recognition.(membership)
October 1, 2004... 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 photos of Department...

VFW-sponsored annuity now available.(member benefits)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... In an ongoing effort to keep you informed of new products available for VFW members and their families, we are pleased to announce that we now offer VFW-sponsored annuities. Through top-rated companies, we are able to offer a variety of...

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

Sound off: views of VFW members on topics of interest veterans.
October 1, 2004... August's Question: Should VA be responsible for providing care for age-related medical conditions if they are not service-connected? Traditionally, VA rare lure been viewed as primarily designed to cover the needs of veterans disabled...