DAV Magazine articles from July 2007

DAV Magazine archives from July 2007

2007 Winter Sports Clinic highlights.(Brief article)(Photograph)
July 1, 2007... Caption: Left several disabled veterans conquered the clinic's daunting climbing wall. Below, Bo Derek and National Commander Bradley S. Barton congratulate a participant during the medal ceremony. Bottom left, National Commander...

The long road well traveled.(from the NATIONAL COMMANDER)
July 1, 2007... This has been an extremely rewarding year as your National Commander--filled with joy, success and towering moments. I have observed first-hand the care and compassion of our members, the dire needs of our wounded and injured service members...

Resolve to be involved.(from the NATIONAL ADJUTANT)(participation in the policy-making process of the Disabled American Veterans)
July 1, 2007... Since the DAV was founded, promoting meaningful, reasonable and responsible public policy for disabled veterans has been a key part of our mission. Each year, the resolutions adopted at our National Convention form the basis for DAV policy and...

Patriotism should be recognized.(LOUD & CLEAR)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... After decades of failing many veterans in need, the Department of Veterans Affairs may finally be rebuilt to truly serve veterans that need help. Hopefully it will be successful. But somewhere over the years what being a veteran means has been...

Praise for Walter Reed.(LOUD & CLEAR)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... After reading the recent coverage of poor living conditions at Walter Reed, I felt compelled to write. As a retired, disabled Marine, I cannot say enough wonderful things about Walter Reed and Bethesda Naval Hospital. I have had four operations...

No sacrifice in vain.(LOUD & CLEAR)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... My fellow veterans, be assured, no soldier's battlefield injury is ever in vain. Politicians start wars, soldiers fight them. We've fought good wars, and we've fought bad wars, wars that never needed to have been fought. But whether a war is...

Vet vote coming?(LOUD & CLEAR)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... I am a 100 percent disabled vet and a life member. For over thirty years, I have fought for everything I have received from the VA system. I'm sick and tired of hearing the same old thing. Its time to force the government to meet their...

Thumbs up for lump sum.(LOUD & CLEAR)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... I am rated as a 100 percent disabled veteran. I feel that it is only right for those veterans who have succeeded in managing their funds well would be interested in a lump sum buy-out. The lump sum buy-out is an innovative way to purge the...

Priority challenged.(LOUD & CLEAR)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... I am writing regarding recent reports that the Veterans Benefits Administration is giving higher processing priority to veterans returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan. This is disappointing, wrong and unfair. Certainly, severely wounded...

VA care commended.(LOUD & CLEAR)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... In light of the recent fiasco at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, I want to commend the El Paso VA clinic for the outstanding care they have provided for me since 1984. From my primary care doctor, my urologist, through all the technicians and...

For community service, Veteran's advocacy.(Disabled Veterans of the Year Honored)(Norman R. Wolfinger)
July 1, 2007... For a long time, Norman R. Wolfinger didn't even talk about Vietnam. It was there on guard duty that his life had changed forever. Serving with the Army's A Battery, 6/27th Artillery, attached to the 1st Air Cavalry Division at Quan Loi,...

National candidates for 2007-2008 membership year.
July 1, 2007... * The following information is intended to inform the membership about the announced candidates for National Office. Such use does not constitute an official endorsement by the National Organization of any candidate to the exclusion of others...

Volunteers are all smiles.(Seal Awards 2007)(Joseph H. Smith and Joan Cook)
July 1, 2007... Joseph H. Smith and Joan Cook have never met, but they're known far and wide for their beaming smiles and "can-do" attitude as volunteers. Separated by 2,000 miles of America, Smith lives in the barren high desert of northern Nevada and Cook...

Transportation Network volunteer honored with presidential award.(Seal Awards 2007)
July 1, 2007... Clifford Stoffel is keeping his President's Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement Award on the kitchen table so he can see it. "I am very proud to receive this award," he said. "It brings honor to the DAV Voluntary Services Program." ...

Jesse Brown scholarship provides opportunities.
July 1, 2007... For young Jamiya Harris, the Jesse Brown Memorial Youth Scholarship means a more secure future. Her grandmother and guardian, Agnes Washington, had told her many times that she needed to do the right things in life--to get good grades and make...

Winter sports clinic draws record numbers.(21st National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic )
July 1, 2007... A record number of disabled veterans turned out for the 21st National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass Village, Colo., April 1-6. More than 400 participants--including nearly 90 from the current conflicts in Iraq and...

Disaster relief: aids disabled veterans hit by Kansas tornado.
July 1, 2007... An entire town was just gone. Amazingly, though, the May 4 tornado that leveled Greensburg, Kan., killed just 10 of the town's 1,400 residents. Amazing because weather experts said it was an F5 category storm, the highest intensity rating on...

Recruiters meet membership challenge with success.(Membership)
July 1, 2007... He's back and showing no sign of slowing down in his quest for the DAV top recruiter title for the 2006-2007 membership year. Prospero Sodano, DAV Chapter 31, Richmond Hill, N.Y., has recruited 131 members as of this writing. Close on his...

Call to action.(DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY)(for legislation for veterans services)
July 1, 2007... The target is you, and the time is now. Our members and Auxiliary are being called to action as never before. It is time to launch a powerful drive to urge Congress and the administration to enact legislation to help veterans and their families...

Veterans funding increase praised.
July 1, 2007... Legislation to boost funding for veterans programs to $87.7 billion next year is being hailed as a major victory by the DAV. The bill passed by the House of Representatives calls for an 18 percent increase over the VA's 2007 funding level. ...

Bills expanding care pass house.(legislation for extending hospital care for disabled veterans, House of Representatives)
July 1, 2007... The House of Representatives has approved six bills, including authorization to extend VA medical, hospital and nursing home care for combat veterans for up to five years after discharge. Current law provides two years of free care to veterans...

Honor roll donors support future service.(Honors)(Disabled American Veterans National Service Foundation Perpetual Rehabilitation Fund contributors awarded with Grand Memorial Honor Roll plaques)
July 1, 2007... There are 14 plaques covered with brass plates on a wall on the first floor at National Service and Legislative Headquarters in Washington, D.C. They bear the names of those who made it their mission to provide continued financial support to...

House passes disabled veterans memorial coin act.
July 1, 2007... Legislation to require the U.S. Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of veterans who became disabled as a result of their military service has been approved by the House of Representatives. The American Veterans' Disabled for Life...

Bugle awards recognize reporters.(Awards)
July 1, 2007... For CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer, his service in the Air Force and his reporting the war in Vietnam had a profound effect on how he views those who serve our nation. CO Today reporter Tim Starks' digging for the facts...

Iris Brzezinski is 2007 Outstanding Auxiliary Member.
July 1, 2007... Iris Brzezinski, Auxiliary Unit 13, Las Vegas, Nev., has been selected to receive the Past National Commanders' Outstanding Auxiliary Member of the Year Award for 2007. She will be presented the highest individual Auxiliary award at the opening...

An incredible journey.(from the AUXILIARY NATIONAL COMMANDER)
July 1, 2007... The old saying is true; time really does fly when you are having fun. It has been a pleasure serving this past year as National Commander of the DAV Auxiliary. The past five years, and foremost this past year, I have had the most...

Kentucky's Galt House welcomes 2007 Auxiliary Fall Conference.
July 1, 2007... The 2007 Auxiliary Fall Conference returns to the hospitality of the Bluegrass State at the wonderfully refurbished Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Ky., Oct. 11-13, and you are encouraged to attend. "We encourage all Auxiliary members,...

Retired NSO Elmer Sewell dies.(National Service Officer )(Obituary)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... * Elmer Sewell, 64, a retired DAV National Service Officer (NSO) died in Maryland, on May 4, 2007. "Elmer was a compassionate professional who never faltered in his pursuit to provide the best service and advocacy possible to disabled...

Forbes appointed Deputy Secretary ...(Wilbert B. Forbes, Deputy Secretary for the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, left, congratulates Wilbert B. Forbes, Sr., right, on his appointment as Deputy Secretary for the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs, as Luwanda W. Jenkins, special secretary, Governor's Office of...

Medal of Honor Park rededicated ...(Brief article)(Photograph)
July 1, 2007... Among those on hand at the rededication of the Medal of Honor Park in Sebring Fla. are, from left, Commander Harold Linville, DAV Chapter 49, Sebring; Raymond McIntyre; Birgit Smith, widow of SFC Paul Ray Smith, Medal of Honor recipient; Jeff...

DAV Day at the Ballpark: hottest tickets in town.(Disabled American Veterans program )
July 1, 2007... The heat is on. Hot days, hot pennant races and hot dogs are the order of the day for DAV Day at the Ballpark games in July and August. More than 15 DAV and Veterans Appreciation Day games are on the schedule as hundreds of members and their...

Champion boxer visits hospitalized veterans.(Holly Holm )(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Sparring with one-liners, listening to the stories of hospitalized veterans and posing with them for photos, women's world champion boxer Holly Holm was a knockout during a visit at the VA medical center in Albuquerque, N.M. She made her...

Forget me not ...(Photograph)
July 1, 2007... Chapter 82 presents an award of appreciation to students of Deep Creek Elementary School for supporting the DAV Forget-Me-Not drive. From left and behind, Jose Haynes; Department Commander and retired Marine Major John Haynes; Chapter 82...

Former National Service Director Irving Peltz passes.(Obituary)
July 1, 2007... Irving Peltz, 83, who served as National Service Director from 1962 to 1967, died June 2 at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Md. One of the founders of National Amputation Chapter 76 in Malverne, N.Y., Peltz was a combat-disabled World War II...

Reunions.(veterans)(Calendar)
July 1, 2007... Reunions--Because of increasing number of requests and the space limitations of our magazine, we must limit publications of unit reunions to one time only. Send such notices at least six months in advance to: Reunions, DAV Magazine, P.O. Box...

Inquires.(locating persons)
July 1, 2007... Inquires... This Column is for inquiries submitted to DAV members and other interested persons attempting to locate persons to substantiate a claim for service-connected injuries. Your request will be processed through various means in an...

Memorial day ...
July 1, 2007... Grand Marshals in the Washington, D.C., Memorial Day parade were service members wounded in Iraq or Bosnia. Riding with actor Gary Sinise, top center, are some of them: Spec. Jace Badia, left, reservist John Callahan, retired Army Capt. Leslie...

Country musicians, celebrities sign to help veterans.(signed guitar donated to the Disabled American Veterans)
July 1, 2007... Dozens of celebrities and entertainers attending the 42nd Academy of Country Music Awards May 14 lent their support to disabled veterans and their families by autographing a guitar to support the DAV. Participation backstage at the awards...

Chaplain's corner.(Disabled American Veterans chaplain seminar)
July 1, 2007... In the last two-dozen or so years, I have attended probably a dozen National Conventions. Attending the convention is a great way of meeting old friends and learning about new programs. It is an excellent training event that gets us charged up...

Employees support local agency ...(Disabled American Veterans employees donates to Joseph House, Inc.)(Brief article)(Photograph)
July 1, 2007... Representing DAV employees at National Headquarters, Nicole Schertler, left, and Jeff Graves, right, present a check for $290 to William T. Malone, center, Executive Director of Joseph House, Inc., a homeless veterans" agency that helps...

The big easy Panchito party on Spanish Plaza.(DAV Flight Team)(B-25 Mitchell bomber to grace Disabled American Veterans's 86th National Convention in New Orleans)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... New Orleans, which suffered the devastation inflicted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, remains a city of spirit and celebration as it builds better lives for its citizens. The DAV is helping New Orleans reclaim its former glory as The Crescent...