Category Archives: Veterans Benefits

Veterans Benefits

Happy 237th Birthday Marine Corps

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The Few, The Proud, The Marines! Happy Birthday Jar-heads!

I declare that I will never tire of  saying this as long as I am breathing and able to eek out a one more… OOORAH!

There are only 176,000 of us on active duty, the smallest of all the Armed Forces.

The United States Marine Corps traces its institutional roots to the Continental Marines of the Revolutionary War, formed by Captain Samuel Nicholas by a resolution of the Second Continental Congress on the 10th of November, 1775  at Tuns Tavern in Philadelphia, Pa.

One of the Marines more notable actions occurred during the First Barbary War, 1801-1805 against the Barbary Pirates. Some now say, the first terrorist attack. William Eaton and Lt. Presley O”Bannon led eight, imagine that, just eight Marines and approximately 500 mercenaries in an effort to seize Tripoli.  This  siege attempt  only reached Derna, yet the action has been memorialized in the lyrics of the Marine Corps hymn and the Mameluke Sword adorned by Marine officers.

The whole Tripoli aspect of military history being re-visited again is a bit uncanny.

The values and discipline we learned in the Marine Corps travel with me  like the calcium in my bones.

“Here’s health to you and to our Corps/ Which we are proud to serve/ In many a strife we’ve fought for life/ and never lost our nerve/ If the Army and the Navy ever look on Heaven’s scenes/They will find the streets are guarded by United States Marines.

Veterans Benefits

Veterans Weekly Report

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Print & Post: Week of November 05, 2012

Hurricane May Impact VA Operations
The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy may impact Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operations, leading to closures, cancellations, or rescheduling along the East Coast. If you live in an area affected by storm damage and have pending VA appointments, be sure to (http://www2.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp?isflash=1) contact your VA facility to ask about their operational schedule. Some appointments may be rescheduled or canceled, and some facilities may be closed entirely until it’s safe to resume normal duties. You can find the contact information for your local VA facility on the (http://www2.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp?isflash=1) VA website. You can also follow your local VA facilities on (http://www.va.gov/opa/socialmedia.asp) Facebook and Twitter through links at VA’s (http://www.va.gov/opa/socialmedia.asp) Social Media Directory for updates on closures and appointment cancellations.For complete guides to all veterans benefits, visit the (http://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-benefits) Military.com Benefits Center.

South Dakota Veterans Sought for Study
University of South Dakota psychology professors Jeffrey Simons and Raluca Gaher will soon be conducting a study to examine the association between traumatic stress and health outcomes among veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Simons and Gaher are seeking 250 veterans for the 18-month study who have served in operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom. The participants must be able to safely participate in the study and be able to travel to Sioux Falls and Vermillion, S.D. Participants do not have to have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. With the help of smart phones, participants will answer questions daily in real time about their feelings, social relationships, behaviors, activity levels and PTSD symptoms. For more information, contact (https://www.usd.edu/arts-and-sciences/psychology/clinical-psychology/raluca-gaher.cfm) Professor Raluca Gaher or (https://www.usd.edu/arts-and-sciences/psychology/clinical-psychology/Jeffrey-Simons.cfm) Professor Jeffrey Simons at 605-677-5353.

For more links to military family support resources, visit the (http://www.military.com/spouse) Military.com Spouse and Family Center.

General Dynamics Seeking Veteran Talent
Your Next Mission Starts Here: General Dynamics scours the country in search for the best veteran talent to help us deliver innovative technology solutions for our nation’s highest-priority defense and homeland security initiatives. (http://www.military.com/jobs-in/employer/gdit/?ESRC=mrvr.nl) Learn how your skills can translate into a civilian career in mission-critical programs.

Vet Assisted Living in Florida
The Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Veterans’ Domiciliary Home, a 148-bed housing facility for honorably discharged veterans in Lake City, Fla., provides a special combination of housing, personalized supportive services and incidental medical care to eligible veterans, who must be able to feed and dress themselves, and be in need of assisted living care. Residents must have at least one year of residency in the state of Florida and be in need of assisted living facility care, not hospital or nursing home care. Private rooms run about $2,100 a month and semi-private rooms about $1,650. Rates are based on a sliding fee scale according to the veteran’s income. For information about the veterans domiciliary, call 386-758-0600.

For complete guides to all veterans benefits, visit the (http://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-benefits) Military.com Benefits Center.

Hiring Our Heroes Job Fairs
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is holding job fairs for veterans throughout the month of November in 400 communities through its Hiring Our Heroes Program. Earlier this month, the US Chamber of Commerce held its 300th (http://www.uschamber.com/hiringourheroes href=) Hiring Our Heroes job fair, leading to 10,400 jobs for veterans and spouses. A listing of the locations and dates of the Hiring Our Heroes job fairs being held across the country is available on the Hiring Our Heroes webpage at (http://www.uschamber.com/hiringourheroes/events) www.uschamber.com/hiringourheroes/events. Each event should have a link to more information on the time and location, as well as registration information.

For job fair listings across the nation and civilian job guides and tips, visit the (http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs) Military.com Veteran Jobs Center.

2012 Veterans Day Discounts and Freebies
Each year businesses honor Veterans and Servicemembers by offering Veterans Day discounts on goods, services, and dining. Military.com has put together a list of 2012 veteran and military discounts, Buy One Get One (BOGO) offerings, and even some of the offerings include honest-to-goodness free meals. (http://www.military.com/veterans-day/veterans-day-military-discounts.html) Learn more about the 2012 Veterans Day Discounts and Freebies.

$400k Coverage: As Low as $26 a Month
Is VGLI too much for your family? Find low cost alternatives designed with your military family in mind. (http://www.military.com/insurance/?lpid=ret&ESRC=vr1105.nl) Get $400k protection starting at less than $1 a day.

Veterans Crisis Line
() The Veterans Crisis Line has saved thousands of lives with dedicated counselors taking calls from Veterans in mental health crises. Take a look at what goes on behind the scenes by viewing the video on (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm4WZs8Fa9s&feature=youtu.be) YouTube and visiting the (http://veteranscrisisline.net/) Veterans Crisis Line website. If you are a veteran in immediate crisis, or know a veteran who is, call the Veterans Crisis Line toll-free 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255, press 1.

For complete guides to all veterans benefits, visit the (http://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-benefits) Military.com Benefits Center.

VA and Women Veterans
The number of female Veterans using VA health care has doubled in the last decade, making women a significantly larger portion of the veterans VA serves every day. Many VA employees are women Veterans as well. As you celebrate all Veterans for their service to our country this Veterans Day, remember to recognize the women veterans around you for their contributions. The VA Women’s Health Services office and the National Women Veterans Communications Workgroup have created a poster, digital/Web art, social media messages, and a Facebook image to “share,” which celebrate the contributions of women veterans. Visit the Women’s Health SharePoint to download these resources for your use on this Veterans Day and beyond.

For complete guides to all veterans benefits, visit the (http://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-benefits) Military.com Benefits Center.

Determining VA Eligibility
Determining your VA eligibility status is easier than you think. For more information, read the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/8304/a-few-resources-to-determine-va-eligibility/) VAntage Point Blog.

For complete guides to all veterans benefits, visit the (http://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-benefits) Military.com Benefits Center.

From Building Buicks to Bombers
Three hundred and forty-three thousand automobiles left the General Motor’s super-assembly plant in Linden, N.J., between 1937 and 1941. Throughout these years of peace, Buicks, Pontiacs and Oldsmobiles flowed in an endless procession from this factory into dealers’ showrooms from Maine to Virginia — then production stopped. (http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/career-advice/military-transition/from-building-buicks-to-bombers.html?ESRC=mrvr.nl) Read Full Article.

Veterans Day Resources
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has resources for Veterans Day on its (http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/) Veterans Day–November 11 webpage. The (http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/) 2012 Veterans Day Teacher Resource Guide is available there in both a PDF file and a Word version. The website also contains suggested activities for Veterans Day and relevant information for students ? such as the history of Veterans Day, the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day, and information about scholarships. The 2012 Veterans Day poster is also available on the website to download in various formats. Information is also available on the website on the Veterans Day National Ceremony, which is held each year on November 11th at Arlington National Cemetery.

For more on Veterans Day history and tributes, visit the (http://www.military.com/veterans-day) Military.com Veterans Day page.

3 VA Loan Tips
Tip: Get Pre-Approved. Before you start the hunt for a house, the best thing you can do is to get pre-approved for your VA loan amount. Hint: Check Your Credit. Did you know that over 70 percent of all credit reports in the United States contain errors? Hint: Consider the Advantages of Having a VA Guaranteed Loan. A VA mortgage loan can be guaranteed with no money down, in some cases up to $417,000. There is also no private mortgage insurance requirement. (http://www.military.com/money/va-loans/home-purchase/veterans-administration-home-loan-tips.html?ESRC=mrvr.nl) Read the full story on Military.com.

(https://secure.military.com/leads/VALoanNew/Step1.jsp?ESRC=mrvr.nl) Next Step: Search for lenders ready to help you buy or refinance with a VA loan.

Get Help at Your Local VA Vet Center
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Vet Centers offer Veterans and their families an alternative to bustling VA hospitals. The 300 centers located across the country, offer counseling, substance abuse and employment assessment, and resources. For more information, visit VA’s Vet Center webpage at (http://www.vetcenter.va.gov/) www.vetcenter.va.gov/.

For complete guides to all veterans benefits, visit the (http://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-benefits) Military.com Benefits Center.

Veterans Day: Discounts and Freebies
Each year businesses honor veterans and servicemembers, as well as their families, with Veterans Day discounts on goods, services, and dining. Military.com has listed out the (http://www.military.com/veterans-day/veterans-day-military-discounts.html?ESRC=mrvr.nl) 2012 veteran and military discounts, including Buy One Get One (BOGO) offerings, and this year’s offerings even include some honest-to-goodness free meals.

View all military (http://www.military.com/discounts/?ESRC=mrvr.nl) deals and discounts.

Get top deals and information on how to save big by signing up for (http://www.military.com/LeadForms/NewsLetterSignup?ESRC=mrvr.nl) the Military Deals and Discounts Newsletter.

 

Veterans Benefits

American Legion Post 7 Sponsors Veterans Day Parade For 90 Years

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Morgan McDermott Post 7- American Legion

330 W. Franklin Street

Tucson, AZ 85701-8208

Email- tucsonalvetparade@gmail.com

PRESS RELEASE

______________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release 31 October, 2012

Contact: Felix Salaz, Parade Chairman (520)409-5974

 

AMERICAN LEGION POST 7 TO HOLD VETERANS DAY PARADE in DOWNTOWN TUCSON on NOVEMEBER 12TH, 2012 FROM 10AM TIL 1PM.

 

For Decades the American Legion Post 7 has been dedicated to serving the Veteran Community of Tucson.

 

Tucson, Arizona American Legion Post 7 will hold a Veterans Day Parade this Veterans Day, Monday November 12th from 10am to 1pm. Sponsored by various American Legion Posts, Legion Riders, TPD, Access Tucson, AZ Rangers Cars4Vets Inc and others. Staffed completely by community volunteers, the Tucson non-profits aim to raise awareness of their proud service and dedication that enable their organization to continue carrying out and fulfilling the mission and goals of their causes.

 

Admission is free and so is the parking. Tucsonans can ogle over the 50+ vehicles on display, along with live performances from local marching bands. Wave and cheer to your favorite hero as they ride by on a display of talent. At the end of the parade, enjoy a meet and greet along with food and refreshments at the American Legion Post 7, 330 W. Franklin Str., between St. Mary’s and Congress off of I-10. Registration has begun and will end at 5pm 11 November, 2012.

For more information, to volunteer or to make a donation to the Veterans Day Parade and its’ supporting organizations, visit our website at www.po5295.wix.com/morganmcdermottpost7 .

 

 

 

Felix Salaz, Parade Chairman

Veterans Benefits

Policy Not Personality Vital To Veterans Future

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“The politics of obfuscation have outpaced the politics of interrogation.” Eugene Williams

It is for this astute observation about the sociology of current political trends that I intentionally waited until the eve of this Presidential election to weigh in on the issues and policies that impact America’s veterans. Sorting and seeking the raw truth takes longer these days.

The nascent cottage industry of, “fact checkers,” have now replaced the purity and objectivity of old school journalism.  When the obfuscated truth and fictions of advocacy journalism impact the lives of our nations veterans one wonders if the soldiers oath to uphold the Constitution and protect us against enemies foreign and domestic is the only remaining bastion of integrity.

Demographics show that veterans are twice as likely to vote as the rest of the citizenry. It would follow that both candidate Romney and President Obama would make appeals to their votes.

With the most silent, yet longest running war in modern history in progress in Afghanistan, you would think their appeals to veterans would embody some beef.  In this wearisome election cycle, or social engineering project disguised as a campaign, we have seen appeals devolve into appearances, with stilted groups of veterans standing erect with flat affects behind their candidate, logos and all, mute, while the pablum of neutrality flows. No talk of war. No request for sacrifice or support. And certainly no talk of the actuarial projections of the astronomical costs of the benefits for the permanent disabilities for the survivors of war. The irony being that our medical technology and emergency medicine is so advanced, (much of the innovation coming from the U.S. Army), that our soldiers and Marines are surviving at nearly 4-5 times the ratio of previous wars. The living disability factor and its impact on the National budget is curiously a muted topic. I wonder why?  Is it because the total cost on both ends of war, could break the bank?  Remember this is what Afghanistan did to Russia.

The disability process and the future of the Veterans Administration is a core issue with American veterans.  Romney and McCain before him hinted at privatizing the VA. This will not float with the veteran population.

In past elections veterans have favored the Republicans. Yet the polls had no specificity of job description. The margin switches places when you only poll combat veterans who remain in a statistical minority. The ratio of support troops to combat troops hovers around 10:1. Historically combatants have leaned left.

Clinton and Gore were popular with many Vietnam Veterans for reasons of policy not ideology. They aggressively took on the lingering problems with Agent Orange, as has this VA Administration.  They promoted and promulgated legislation that struck and emotional and survival cord for many of the families of Vietnam Veterans.  Karl Rove had not yet mastered the wedge issue game. And, I am not so sure that retired four-star-general, Eric Shinseki, the highest ranking Secretary of VA in history, would play those games. He has also proclaimed by way of expanding the list of illnesses and populations that were exposed to Agent Orange to finish this issue and take care of every legitimate applicant. This research benefits every soldier with chemical exposure to this day. The legislation spills backward and forward in time. Veterans know this.

There are 2 million troops who have rotated home from Iraq and Afghanistan, and a million more to come. Their party loyalty is somewhat vacant with nearly 40% registering Independent. Few elect to affiliate with the mainline fraternal organizations like the VFW, American Legion, or Marine Corps League. The reasons for ghosting from the traditional organizations is glaringly obvious, evidenced by an observation from a young former Navy sniper, Jonathan Andrews, who stated, “why would I join those guys? I will walk in a VFW for a beer and have a Blue State guy on one side and a Red State guy on the other…hurting my ears! I can get this cacophony in Baghdad or Kabul!”

Jonathan’s next observation about the state of nation is more penetrating.

“So the Republicans and Democrats pick the candidates, but us Independents pick the winners!”

Even though Dante warned us that, “the hottest places in hell our reserved for the neutral,” it is no wonder that the candidates neuter themselves in all discussions of war. Neither one wants to be tagged as a Dove or a Hawk. The resultant zeitgeist is that we have never in history been so disconnected from the conduct of war.  On this issue, I declare both cowards.

While the topic is avoided, it is proper to acknowledge that this Administration did dust Bin Laden, continue the surge, and implement the use of Drones without much controversy.

The jury is out on Benghazi. There are way to many moving parts in the Middle East to pretend this is the NFL Channel. Ergo, the reason Condi Rice said to, “back off.”

The evacuation of Saigon did not work out so well either, did it?  In Vietnam we had daily acts of terror.  Be assured we were not always granted support.   This “need to know,” from the common citizen who never served is a bit ludicrous. General Petraeus knows his shit. Let him be. Sometimes the few are sacrificed for the many. It is war folks…wake up.  Imagine helicopters coming to the rescue….just like all the Facebook Generals suggest. Then imagine Black Hawk Down. Go play war on your computer.

Back to the veteran table and the issues and policies that could tip tomorrows election.

The core issues of homelessness, joblessness amongst veterans, post-traumatic-stress-disorder, the disability claim process and the GI Bill have the laser attention of this Veteran Administration. There has never been a VA Secretary as aggressive and so respected as General Shinseki. He has gained advance funding for the  VA in the last two budget cycles—unprecedented for the previous 26 years.  He increased the budget by 25%, and increased medical coverage for the National Guard and Reservists. By example GW Bush knocked them off the docket, and John McCain did not even show for the vote on the GI Bill.

Veterans are hyper-vigilant about these issues and they have a huge impact on election decisions that transcend the arranged duopoly of party politics.

The Defense Budget is a crap shoot when it comes to veterans. As an issue, this a bit more dependent upon the voters depth and fund of knowledge about the very subterranean planning process of the Pentagon. Remenber, it was Donald Rumsfeld who wanted to drastically cut the boots on the ground in favor of aviation and nuclear submarines. War is morphing itself as warp speed.  We are entering areas that not even Star Ship Enterprise ventured. Cyber-war is dead serious and it is not fought with guns.  Our power grids are vulnerable. Our VA Hospitals were on alert a few years back and most likely still are.

Do not let the pundits fool you or engage in red herring tactics when it comes to elections. For every soldier we cut back, they are replaced with a private contractor or mercenary. It is still your tax tab. The whole world of the proverbial, “shadow government,” has little to do with Presidential elections, but the armchair State Department mavens think it does. So, this issue is a near tie for both candidates, with a small edge going to POTUS, since he actually knows who runs the shadow government.

With the total veteran population at 23,067,000.  7,653, ooo from the Vietnam era. 5,507,000 from the Gulf War era. Korean conflict, 2,261,000. and World War ll at ,2,272,000 and peacetime veterans at 5,892.000. Female veterans representing 7.9% of all veterans at 1,824,00 and one-in-five males over 18 years of age being veterans, it can be said that this is one of the most diverse and amorphous body politics in America.

My prediction is that the combination of the Vietnam Veterans and women veterans who are somewhat concerned about Mitt Romney’s bellicosity without grounding, combined with the 40% Independent OEF/OIF veterans, will tip the election to the return of Obama.

Respect the process and our most amazing system of checks and balances. Read Article One of the Constitution, pray unceasingly, and know that America will always prevail with dignity.

 

Veterans Benefits

Veterans Compensation Benefits Rate Tables

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Now if the actuaries were to project these costs out for the next 50 years, the length of time a young disabled soldier will live from this day forward, we may then get a grasp on the real cost of war.

 
Veterans Compensation Benefits Rate Tables – Effective 12/1/11
Basic Rates – 10%-100% Combined Degree Only

Rates (No Dependents): 10% – 20%
Without Children
With Children
30% – 60% 30% – 60%
70% – 100% 70% – 100%
To find out how to use these rate tables CLICK HERE
________________________________

10% – 20% (No Dependents)
Percentage
Rate
10% $127
20% $251

30% – 60% Without Children
Dependent Status
30%
40%
50%
60%
Veteran Alone $389 $560 $797 $1009
Veteran with Spouse Only $435 $622 $874 $1102
Veteran with Spouse & One Parent $472 $671 $936 $1176
Veteran with Spouse and Two Parents $509 $720 $998 $1250
Veteran with One Parent $426 $609 $859 $1083
Veteran with Two Parents $463 $658 $921 $1157
Additional for A/A spouse (see footnote b) $42 $56 $71 $84

70% – 100% Without Children
Dependent Status
70%
80%
90%
100%
Veteran Alone $1,272 $1,478 $1,661 $2,769
Veteran with Spouse Only $1,380 $1,602 $1,800 $2,924
Veteran with Spouse & One Parent $1,466 $1,701 $1,911 $3,048
Veteran with Spouse and Two Parents $1,552 $1,800 $2,022 $3,172
Veteran with One Parent $1,358 $1,577 $1,772 $2,893
Veteran with Two Parents $1,444 $1,676 $1,883 $3,017
Additional for A/A spouse (see footnote b) $99 $112 $127 $141

30% – 60% With Children
Dependent Status
30%
40%
50%
60%
Veteran with Spouse & Child $469 $667 $931 $1169
Veteran with Child Only $420 $601 $849 $1071
Veteran with Spouse, One Parent and Child $506 $716 $993 $1243
Veteran with Spouse, Two Parents and Child $543 $765 $1055 $1,317
Veteran with One Parent and Child $457 $650 $911 $1145
Veteran with Two Parents and Child $494 $699 $973 $1219
Add for Each Additional Child Under Age 18 $23 $30 $38 $46
Each Additional Schoolchild Over Age 18 (see footnote a) $74 $99 $124 $148
Additional for A/A spouse (see footnote b) $42 $56 $71 $84

70% – 100% With Children
Dependent Status
70%
80%
90%
100%
Veteran with Spouse & Child $1,459 $1,692 $1,902 $3,037
Veteran with Child Only $1,344 $1,561 $1,754 $2,873
Veteran with Spouse, One Parent and Child $1,545 $1,791 $2,013 $3,161
Veteran with Spouse, Two Parents and Child $1,631 $1,890 $2,124 $3,285
Veteran with One Parent and Child $1,430 $1,660 $1,865 $2,997
Veteran with Two Parents and Child $1,516 $1,759 $1,976 $3,121
Add for Each Additional Child Under Age 18 $53 $61 $69 $77
Each Additional Schoolchild Over Age 18 (see footnote a) $173 $198 $223 $248
Additional for A/A spouse (see footnote b) $99 $112 $127 $141

FOOTNOTES:
1. Rates for each school child are shown separately. They are not included with
any other compensation rates. All other entries on this chart reflecting a rate
for children show the rate payable for children under 18 or helpless. To find
the amount payable to a 70% disabled veteran with a spouse and four children,
one of whom is over 18 and attending school, take the 70% rate for a veteran
with a spouse and 3 children, $ 1,565, and add the rate for one school child,
$173. The total amount payable is $1,738.

2. Where the veteran has a spouse who is determined to require A/A, add the
figure shown as “additional for A/A spouse” to the amount shown for the proper
dependency code. For example, veteran has A/A spouse and 2 minor children and is
70% disabled. Add $99, additional for A/A spouse, to the rate for a 70% veteran
with dependency code 12, $1,512. The total amount payable is $ 1,611.

To find out how to use these rate tables CLICK HERE.
For prior rate tables on this topic choose
one:  12-1-2009  12-1-2008  12-1-2007  12-1-2006  12-1-2005  12-1-2004
12-1-2003  12-1-2002  12-1-2001  12-1-2000  12-1-1999.
If you do not have Microsoft Word software installed, you may download free
viewer and reader software to view the document cited below.
For additional historic rate charts on this topic CLICK HERE.

God Bless
Jose M. Garcia PNC
National Service Officer
Catholic War Veterans,USA
josegarcia4@sbcglobal.net
Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.
In God We Trust

Veterans Benefits

Veterans Day At The Merritt Center

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The Merritt Center Veterans Program
 

Open House for Supporters of

Vets Returning from Combat
 

A chance to visit with returning veterans and those

who have supported the Merritt Center’s training

for integration and civilian reentry with donations

At The Merritt Lodge in Payson, AZ

Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2013 10am-4pm

 

Send email to RSVP with number of friends and family attending.

www.merrittcenter.org

 
 

The Merritt Center, a 501C3 organization, offers a free 4-weekend

educational program to returning combat vets. Stop in to hear the

stories of these veterans and those who have financially supported the

Program that allowed them to return “all the way home”. Tour the Lodge,

enjoy refreshments and listen to the musicians who have supported this

Veterans Program from the beginning in 2005. Talk with the Vet Mentors

who, after graduating from the Program return to give something back to

those just entering the Program. We are grateful for every donation to

keep this Program available to more and more vets.
The Merritt Center Veteran Program – Basic Training for Life

For more information or application:

www.merrittcenter.org

800.414.9880 – 928.474.4268
Veterans Benefits

Is War Dead In America?

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When a soldier goes to war, the family goes to war. There was a time when soldiers went to war, the community went to war. Virtually every township and neighborhood had a family member in uniform. Sacrifices, both personal and corporate were distributed throughout the community. Now, it would take a modern day Diogenes to find an honest sacrifice.

In 21st century wars of assimilation (most undeclared), there is a dwindling level of support and sacrifice for the actual war effort. Ironically, American morale for supporting the troops is at an all-time high, but we are in a total state of disconnect from the conduct of war and its combatants. T.S. Elliot wondered, “How much reality can humankind handle?” Are we simply in overload mode?

The April, 1966 cover of Time Magazine featured the “God Is Dead Movement.” The phrase was immediately misunderstood, losing much of its intention to inform us that we had lost the symbolic language about God, and thereby lost the experience of God in our daily existence. Is it possible that war is dead in America?

“Only the dead know the end of war,” said the philosopher Plato, yet, how will one know the memories of war and its dead if not through the living who have borne the battle?

Without a syntax for war, its meaning dies before the soldier.

Author Mark Thompson, writing for Time magazine on November 10, 2011, suggests our armed forces and civil society are drifting apart. His characterization of “an army apart” is accurate and confirmed by active duty troops. We now have a highly-trained population of professional military volunteers who continuously at war for nearly 20 years, yet that irony surfaces again as they represent only a 0.5% slice of the population. This is the lowest percentage of Americans serving in the Armed Forces since before World War I.

Our voluntary combatants are primarily poor kids and patriots from the lower socioeconomic strata. The upper crust of American society is mostly AWOL from war, yet they are the ones making decisions about war. In the 1970’s, 77% of our lawmakers were veterans. That percentage has now slipped to 22%.  War and the memory of war is pretty much dead in the personal lives of those on Capitol Hill.

On this Memorial Day, we reverently march on with profound respect and honor for all Americans who have died in battle from the Boston Massacre to the streets of Kabul. Since its inception as Decoration Day after the American Civil War when freed slaves sang songs of praise for their liberation by Union soldiers, we continue this most sacred of federal holidays. Yet, it may be time to refresh our memories of war itself, and the consequent sacrifices that are charged to a citizenry adhering to the Constitutional dictum, “to provide for the common defense” – the operative word being, “common.”

The day-to-day, hour-to-hour reality of providing for the common defense begs to be memorialized on this day so as to not trivialize the sacrifices of those who died for the common good.

On Memorial Day, the American flag is swiftly run up to the top of its staff, and then quietly, reverently lowered to half mast in recognition of the millions who gave their all for this land of the free and home of the brave. In some traditions, that flag remains at half mast until noon, when the memory of the dead is raised with the flag by the survivors resolved to never allow those sacrifices in defending our Constitution to be in vain.

In the week after Memorial Day, find a soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine, and ask them to tell you their saga of war and of those they lost. You will then experience the meaning of Memorial Day.

Michael Patrick Brewer, Combat Veteran/ U.S. Marine Corps

Veterans Benefits

Cancer In The Water

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Change.org
The Marine Corps knew there were toxic chemicals in the drinking water at a U.S. base, but they didn’t tell military families — and they won’t pay for medical treatments either. Tell the Veterans Administration to pay for medical treatments for Marine veterans and their families who were exposed to toxic chemicals in the water at Camp Lejeune.
Sign Jerry’s Petition

Michael –

Retired Marine Sergeant Jerry Ensminger thought the water that came out of his taps at the Camp Lejeune military base in North Carolina was safe. It’s the water he bathed his daughter Janey in and the water he gave her to drink. But it was also the water that killed her.

Jerry’s daughter Janey was diagnosed with childhood leukemia when she was 6 years old, and died three years later in 1987.

In the following years, Jerry asked himself again and again why Janey got sick when they had no family history of cancer. Then, he learned what the Marine Corps had known for decades: the water at Camp Lejeune was contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals, poisoning the water and the people there. But instead of telling people, the Marines covered it up.

Today, the government refuses to pay for medical treatments for veterans and their family members who were poisoned. So Jerry started a petition on Change.org to get other veterans’ families the health care they need to fight the effects of Camp Lejeune’s water.

Click here to sign Jerry’s petition asking the Veterans Administration and Congress to pay for medical treatments for veterans and their families who worked and lived at Camp Lejeune.

As many as 200,000 people who worked and lived at Camp Lejeune between 1957 and 1987 have gotten sick and even died from leukemia, birth defects and various cancers tied to the poisoned water.

But Veterans Administration Secretary Eric Shinseki said just last month that he thinks providing health care to veterans of Camp Lejeune would be “premature.” But for Jerry, taking responsibility for what happened to the water and families at Camp Lejeune wouldn’t be premature — it’s more than a decade overdue.

Jerry’s struggled with the loss of his daughter for decades, and has since fought to make sure the Marines take care of those who were exposed to the chemicals at Camp Lejeune and are still alive. He started his petition on Change.org in the hope that it will focus attention on this issue while there’s still time left for other veterans and their families.

Click here to sign Jerry’s petition calling on the V.A. and Congress to pay for medical treatments for veterans of Camp Lejeune and their families, where thousands of people were poisoned by polluted water.

Thanks for being a change-maker,

– Corinne and the Change.org team
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Veterans Benefits

A Moment Of Silence And Remembrance

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“Only the dead know the end of War”Plato

 

 

Would it not be good for the soul of America if we went silent for the whole month  of June?

 

 

Ergo, no campaigning! The soldiers can’t do it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 http://www.iava.org/

Mike,http://iava.org/redirect?redirect=http://bit.ly/KJlVFQ &org=403&lvl=100&ite=3530&lea=72954&ctr=0&par=1&org=403&lvl=100&ite=3530&lea=72954&ctr=0&par=1This Memorial Day, go silent for the fallen.On Monday, IAVA will head to hallowed ground. We’ll unite from Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery to The Presidio overlooking the Pacific to remember all 6,442 Americans who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. We’ll rededicate ourselves to support the families they have left behind. And we’ll pause in silence to honor their last full measure of devotion for our country.Will you go silent for them? Sign the pledge to join IAVA in a national moment of silence at 12:01pm this Memorial Day.Memorial Day should be a powerful, unified day of remembrance. In our community, our fallen brothers and sisters stand apart for their bravery and sacrifice. They were our battle buddies, our friends and our family—and we will carry their loss for a lifetime.Pledge to go silent in their memory this Memorial Day. Text “SILENT” to 69866for a reminder before the moment of silence, and then spread the word to your friends on Twitter and Facebook.There is power in silence. No matter where you are this Memorial Day gather your friends and family to pause and reflect in honor of all Americans who have given their lives in defense of our country.

Thank you for standing with us.

Paul

Paul Rieckhoff
Founder and Executive Director
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

PS – Want to join us on the ground this Memorial Day? Bring your friends and family out for local ceremonies from Washington, D.C. to Chicago to San Francisco. Find one near you.

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