Monthly Archives: April 2010

Politics, Veteran Legislative Update, Veteran Pals, Veterans Benefits, Veterans Global, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

Tuition Waivers For Wounded Veterans Long Time Coming: Antenori Breaks Through

18 Comments

“Those without vision perish.” That is not the case for Arizona State Representative Frank Antenori, and his colleagues who had the vision and courage to penetrate decades of denial of benefits to disabled veterans that have been granted in many States for 40 years.

House Bill 2350: Tuition Waivers For Wounded Veterans, was signed by Governor Brewer on Friday. But with all the hoopla and circus of the Immigration Bill, the advocacy and diligence it took to get this fine piece of legislation pass the Board of  Regents, has remained in the shade. Ironically that is often the way with Veterans Affairs. We give lip service to supporting veterans of war, but so seldom are there substantive results.

Antenori’s bill will mandate that Arizona community colleges and universities must provide tuition waiver scholarships to veterans whose wounds left them with a 50 percent disability rating, and a purple heart.  These benefits could then be transfered to either ones spouse or children under the age of 30.

“These veterans are economically challenged with their disabilities, and their chances for working our going to be limited,” Antenori said.

For years, easily the past three decades, Arizona legislators, including the Board of Regents, and their administrative counterparts at all three major universities; Arizona State, Northern Arizona University and University of Arizona have either blocked like kind legislation and or never allowed it to get out of committee.  All of our fraternal organizations, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, AmVets, Disabled American Veterans, Marine Corps League, combined, have never been able to penetrate this veil of shame, even though all three of the universities take federal monies.

Three of the largest military installations in the United States are in Arizona, and we have not been able to take care of our vets the way this legislation proposes. Congratulations Antenori and company! This is the very reason we need more veterans in elected office.

And how did I learn of this bill that so many of my pals have worked to accomplish for most of their adult life?  By an accidental conversation with a Vietnam Veteran who was recently elected as a vice president of the local chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America; Chapter #106. David Alegria, a Purple Heart recipient and the current President of the Purple Heart Association shared with myself and a couple of Iraq vets the exact modus operandi of getting this past the naysayers.

It is well known that the employees and their spouses get free tuition at our State Universities. Their dependents get a 75% discount on tuition. Juxtapose this with veterans who have signed over their life and soul for our country and it looks a bit silly to not grant the same perks. Especially when one proclaims they will publish a list of all those who get those benefits, including part time employees who are of great financial substance.

I know of these folks. One time while hobnobbing in the VIP room at a Football game, I meandered out to the terrace for a Pepsi. I was startled to see a very wealthy real estate developer working the booth. “What in the world are you doing here,” I asked. He stated with great pride of forethought that he took the job to get free tuition for his kids. I was floored! I later inquired about one of these jobs, anticipating the same financial foresight for my children, as this real estate maven had arranged. I soon discovered that this was a rather exclusive clan and that I would probably have to wait a very long time for one of those jeweled positions.  Even a family President Club membership would not move me up in the ranks of the select.

To place this favored status on the table next to our veterans of war, who insure the very existence of higher education, was a stroke of genius on the part of  Antenori and Alegria.

Too bad this never made the evening news.  You all know that story.

Politics, Veteran Legislative Update, Veteran Pals, Veterans Benefits, Veterans Global, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

Get By With A Little Help From Our Friends/ On The Hill

3 Comments

Here is some of the current legislation that could use some positive energy sent to your elected representatives in the Congress and Senate.

H.R. 2254 Agent Orange Equity Act: Clarifies presumptions relating to the exposure of a population of veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam.

You will note the word “vicinity.” Yes that means Navy ships and Air Force installations wherein personnel handled 55 gallon drums of Dioxin, known as Agent Orange.

The DOD acknowledged nearly 7 years ago that we dropped twice the amount of defoliant as was first reported.  This problem will dog the Vietnam Veteran to the grave.  Imagine the fact that ALS/ Lou Gehrig Disease was linked to service-connected claims  for World War ll veterans in 2008!  65 years later!

H.R. 1377/ S 404–Veterans Emergency Care Fairness Act: To expand veterans eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veteran Affairs  for the emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility.

Pretty important stuff for rural areas. We often forget the folks that do not live in the cities.

H.R. 2573 Atomic Veterans Relief Act: To revise the eligibility for the presumption of service-connection of certain diseases and disabilities for veterans exposed to ionizing radiation during military service.

I know two men here in Tucson who attended ABC School; Atomic, Biological, Chemical Warfare school, who have been fighting for their benefits for 15 years! It is clear that that the DOD does not want to create damaging case law.

H.R. 4045: To increase burial benefits for veterans.

Alternative Care, Health, Politics, Uncategorized, Veteran Legislative Update, Veteran Pals, Veterans Benefits, Veterans Events, Veterans Global, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

Legislative Updates

Leave a comment

WASHINGTON REPORT

Caregivers Bill Goes to President

Thursday evening, the Senate passed by unanimous consent S. 1963, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act and sent it to President Obama for his signature.  On Wednesday, the House had passed the bill by a vote of 419-0 but had amended it so it was returned to the Senate for approval of the changes.  The bill now heads to the President for his signature into law.

Some of the more important provisions of the bill would;

  • Fulfill VA’s obligation to care for the nation’s wounded veterans by providing their caregivers with training, counseling, supportive services, and a living stipend.
  • Provide health care to the family caregivers of injured veterans under CHAMPVA.
  • Require independent oversight of the caregiver program.

The bill also establishes a permanent program to support the caregivers of wounded warriors, improve health care for veterans in rural areas, help VA adapt to the needs of women veterans, and expand supportive services for homeless veterans.

NAUS Note: While we are very appreciative of this bill and know it will go a long way in helping those family caregivers who need the extra assistance, NAUS believes it should be extended to include the many veterans of Persian Gulf War, Vietnam, Korea and WWII and other conflicts whose family caregivers also deserve the extra assistance in this bill.  We sincerely hope that Congress will expand the scope of the bill in the very near future to include all veterans and their families.

More Work Needed to Correct the PPACA

This week on the House floor House Veterans’ Committee Ranking Member Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN) spoke with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in regards to fixing the recently passed new healthcare law to protect two VA healthcare programs.  They are the very important program called Civilian Health and Medical Program of the VA (CHAMPVA), which provides health care coverage for widows and survivors, and the program which includes the spina bifida affected children of Korea and Vietnam veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange.

The Senate has already taken action on providing explicit protection, in law, by passage of S. 3162, introduced by Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI).  However, the legislation has yet to be considered in the House despite Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Filner’s introduction of an identical bill (H.R. 5014).

During House floor discussion, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi told Rep. Buyer that Filner’s bill had been referred to the Ways and Means Committee but, the Speaker said, the House would soon take up the legislation.  She said, “We will bring it together in a bipartisan way in the spirit that we owe our veterans.” NAUS Note:  NAUS looks forward to conclusion of this important matter and intends to continue its press for correction of the “drafting error” in the original bill.

One Exonerated, Two to Go

In Bagdad on Thursday, a U.S. military jury cleared a Navy SEAL of failing to prevent the beating of an Iraqi prisoner suspected of masterminding a 2004 attack that killed four American security contractors.

Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Huertas, 28, of Blue Island, Ill., was found not guilty by a six-man jury of charges of dereliction of duty and attempting to influence the testimony of another service member.  The jury spent only two hours deliberating the verdict.

Huertas is the first of three SEALs to face a court-martial for charges related to the abuse incident.  All three SEALs could have received only a disciplinary reprimand, but insisted on a military trial to clear their names and save their careers.

NAUS Note: It is very good to witness a jury of his peers see what prosecutors obviously did not; that actions in war or combat cannot be treated as civil infractions.  Now we hope the same verdicts for the remaining two SEALS.

Nomination for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs

On Wednesday, President Obama nominated Dr. Jonathan Woodson to serve as assistant secretary of defense for health affairs (ASD/HA).  This position has been vacant since Dr. Ward Casscells departure nearly a year ago.

Dr. Woodson is an associate professor of surgery and associate dean at Boston University School of Medicine and a senior attending vascular surgeon at the Boston Medical Center.  He chairs the Boston University Medical Center Institutional Review Board for Human Research and is an adjunct assistant professor of surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

He also holds the rank of brigadier general in the Army Reserve and is currently assigned as Assistant Surgeon General Force Management, Mobilization, Readiness & Reserve Affairs and deputy commander of the Army Reserve Medical Command.  His official military biography can be viewed here.

As assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, Dr. Woodson would be responsible for the overall supervision of the health and medical affairs of the department of defense, advising the secretary of defense on department of defense health policies, programs, and activities, as well as overseeing all department of defense health resources.  His nomination is subject to Senate confirmation at a yet to be determined date.

Senators Subpoena DoD and DOJ on Fort Hood Investigation

Sen. Joe Liberman (I-CT) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) served subpoenas on Attorney General Eric Holder and DoD Sec. Robert Gates requesting disclosure of information on the investigation of the attack at Fort Hood.

In a six-page letter to the Administration officials, the Senators outlined five months of effort to secure documents and related materials on the investigation of the attack.  According to the Senators, however, all efforts have proved unproductive despite four formal letters to DoD, two to DOJ and lengthy discussions with the Administration.  The Senators also state that their most recent efforts to gain critical information was met with an April 12 response refusing to cooperate.

NAUS continues to focus on corrections to the policies and procedures that contributed to the murderous attack at Foot Hood.

Impact of the Eyjafjallajokull Volcano

Much of America and the world are acutely aware of the tremendous impact the recent eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland has had on civilian aviation.  Air travel across the north Atlantic and most European domestic flights were curtailed for several days stranding millions of travelers on both sides of the ocean.

Military flight operations in and around Europe were impacted as well; and in particular, Air Force aeromedical evacuations (AE) that would normally be routed from combat theaters in Iraq and Afghanistan to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, then on to the U.S. within a few days.

For the past few days AE missions have been flying directly from the Central Command Area of Responsibility (CENCTOM AOR) to the U.S without the intermediate stop in Germany.  This effort requires up to two air-to-air refuelings per mission, but Air Force officials stress it’s worth it to get patients to the care they need.

In addition to adjusting AE flight routing, AE crews and Critical Care Air Transportability Teams, which normally stage at Ramstein Air Base, have been temporarily sent to forward staging locations in CENTCOM.  This temporary basing ensures the Air Force has the right medical personnel in-place to care for wounded warriors as they are evacuated to receive further medical care.

We highlight the level of effort taken by the Air Force to raise a point.  Without the proper funding that enables them to adapt to all contingencies, which includes natural disasters such as the volcano eruption, these types of contingency operations would not be possible.  The same holds true for the other branches of the Uniformed Services.  Our military forces are, and will only continue to be the best in the world as long as Congress and the President provide the funding necessary.

HEALTH CARE NEWS

TRICARE Extends Enhanced Access to Autism Services Demonstration

Raising a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) presents a unique set of challenges for parents, especially paying for expensive specialized care.  To provide continued financial assistance to active duty service members who have a child with an ASD, TRICARE has extended the Enhanced Access to Autism Services Demonstration to March 14, 2012.

This special program allows reimbursement for applied behavior analysis (ABA) rendered by providers (tutors) who are not otherwise eligible to be reimbursed by TRICARE for ABA services.  Providers of ABA collect data on a child’s behavior and use that information to teach the child positive behaviors while suppressing harmful or undesired ones, and improve their social and communication skills.

The demonstration is open to beneficiaries in the United States and the District of Columbia who are registered in TRICARE’s Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) and diagnosed with an ASD.  Click on the links provided if you would like to learn more about TRICARE’s ECHO Program or the Enhanced Access to Autism Services Demonstration.

Alcohol Awareness Month

April is Alcohol Awareness Month—a national health observance to raise awareness of alcohol abuse and encourage people to make healthy, safe choices.  Click on the link provided to learn more. 

ACTIVE DUTY NEWS

2010 Army Soldier Show

From its base at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, the current edition of the Army Soldier Show is in intense rehearsals.  The 2010 U.S. Army Soldier Show, an “entertainment for the soldier, by the soldier” song-and-dance production, and this year’s edition revolves around current social-media phenomena.  The 2010 Soldier Show schedule features 101 performances at 53 venues, including eight stops in Germany.  As always, the show’s troops will deliver several genres of music and dance, complete with soldier-musicians on guitar, bass, keyboard and drums.  For more information, including a link to the show’s tour schedule, visit the U.S. Army MWR website.

Navy Leave Chits Going On-Line

The Navy announced plans to begin phasing out traditional paper leave chits, replacing them with a new electronic leave request system.  The new system, called Self-Service Electronic Leave (E-Leave), is a Web-based program that sailors can access through their Electronic Service Record.  The new method is also meant to allow sailors to electronically route leave chits through their chain of command for approval.  It automates the command’s leave control log and ensures pay and entitlements are properly credited.  Shore-based implementation of E-Leave is scheduled to begin in August.  An afloat version will be phased in over the next 24 months as shipboard Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System servers are upgraded.

Air Force Announces Uniform Policy Changes

Late last week, Air Force officials announced several policy modifications resulting from recent Air Force Uniform Board decisions.  These include: tucking of trousers into boots on utility uniforms will remain optional; the green fleece watch cap is approved for wear with some items; and the women’s the side-slit mess dress skirt can continue to be worn as an optional item.  Additional information on uniform policy changes can be obtained through your chain of command or by calling the Total Force Service Center at 800-525-0102.

VETERANS NEWS

DFAS to Begin Recouping Separation Pay – DFAS Press Release

Recouping military retirees’ Voluntary Separation Incentive, Special Separation Benefit and other separation payments by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service will resume in August.

These separation payments and others, such as severance pay, were offered to active-duty service members to reduce manpower in certain career fields, primarily during the 1990s.  Because federal law prohibits service members from receiving both separation and retirement payments for the same period of service, provisions of these programs included repayment should an individual join the Ready Reserve or return to active duty and earn status as a military retiree.

On June 1, 2009, in response to retirees’ concerns, DFAS officials temporarily stopped deducting these repayments from retirement pay while the DoD conducted a formal review of the recoupment program.  Before the review, the federal statutes governing these programs did not allow the DoD or DFAS to alter repayment rates or provide alternative repayment plans regardless of the financial hardships a retiree may be experiencing.

The DoD review is complete, and Congress has amended Sections 1174(h) and 1175(e) of Title 10, United States Code, to help limit the financial strain on military retirees as they repay their outstanding balances.  The new statutes allow DFAS more flexibility to accommodate for financial hardship and modify payment plans.

Affected retirees will receive notification letters at least 90 days before recoupments resume.  If they feel the rate of recoupment will create a financial hardship, they may request a more lenient repayment plan by providing financial information on the Financial Statement of Debtor form included with the notification letter.

This monthly recoupment may also affect former spouses who receive Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act payments from such retirees.  Former spouses affected by this action will also will receive a notification letter before the resumption of recoupments.

Foster Homes for Veterans

The VA Medical Foster Home (MFH) program finds a caregiver in the community who is willing to provide a veteran with 24-hour supervision and personal assistance.  This would be a long-term commitment, where the veteran may live for the remainder of their life. Veterans who enter MFH all meet nursing home criteria.  The veteran pays the caregiver $1200 to $2500 per month to provide this care. This includes room and board, 24-hour supervision, assistance with medications, and any personal care.  For more information, visit VA’s Medical Foster Home webpage.

American Freedom Festival

The American Freedom Foundation is bringing Nashville to San Diego for their first annual American Freedom Festival San Diego Saturday, May 29 on the flight deck of the USS Midway Museum.  The event will feature country superstar and legend, Ronnie Milsap. Tickets are available at here and the American Freedom Foundation website.  Discounted tickets for service members will be available at military bases throughout San Diego County and at the USS Midway Museum box office.  Proceeds from the Festival will go to Veterans Village of San Diego, Big Brother Big Sisters of San Diego County – Operation Bigs Program, San Diego Armed Services YMCA and other local San Diego charities supporting our military.

National Volunteer Week

During National Volunteer Week, VA salutes the thousands of citizens, ordinary and famous, who serve veterans as VA volunteers.  Celebrities often visit patients in VA hospitals, but just one visit convinced Bill Daily to become a regular volunteer at the Albuquerque VA Medical Center.

Daily starred as Major Roger Healey on television’s “I Dream of Jeannie.”  The series about two astronauts and a beautiful genie in a bottle began in 1965 and ended in 1970, after which Healy was a regular on “The Bob Newhart Show” from 1972 to 1978.  These days, the 82-year-old actor makes Albuquerque his home and continues to make his fans laugh every Wednesday when he visits veterans at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center.  Daily’s warm heart and gift of gab keep patients laughing.

A Korean War Army Veteran, Daily said he can’t remember jokes, but he loves to talk.  “I have story about everything,” he said, “and the veterans all want to hear about ‘Jeannie’.”

NAUS NEWS

NAUS on the Road

This will be a very busy weekend for NAUS at various Retiree Appreciation Day activities around the country.  Saturday is the day for all of the below listed appearances:

NAUS President MG Matz and his wife Linda will be at the Ft. Jackson RAD in Columbia, SC.

NAUS Garden State Chapter (NJ-2) President Bob Ellis will be at the McGuire AFB, NJ RAD.

NAUS Northeast Regional Vice President Tom Quinlan, Southwestern New England Chapter (MA-3) President Robert Picknally, and Groton Chapter (CT-1) President Paul Dillon will be at the Hanscom AFB RAD in Bedford, MA.

Come by and meet your NAUS representatives and bring a friend to join.
Back to top
NAUS Directory Coming Soon!

Eager to connect with other NAUS members and network with the larger NAUS community?  You’ll be pleased to hear that NAUS is helping you do just that with our partner Harris Connect.  A new Association Membership Directory – a first for NAUS – is now in production and will include up-to-date contact information of thousands of your fellow NAUS members.  Please take a few moments when you receive your postcard notice in the mail and call Harris Connect at 1-800-726-2836 to verify your directory listing information.  There is no cost to be listed in the directory, though members may purchase a directory if desired.  NAUS receives a small royalty on the sale of each directory, so your participation helps your Association financially too!
Our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen stand in harm’s way around the globe to defend our nation and our cherished liberties. NAUS asks you to please pray for their continued strength and protection—and pray as well for their families, who daily stand in support of their spouses, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters.

GODBLESSAMERICA
National Association for Uniformed Services®
5535 Hempstead Way
Springfield, VA 22151
1-800-842-3451
Privacy Policy
Comments about this edition of the NAUS
Weekly Update?
Send this NAUS Weekly Update to a friend!
You are receiving this email as a NAUS Member benefit or because you subscribed to the
NAUS Weekly Update with email address esh.2208@sbcglobal.net.
Click here if you choose to opt-out from receiving the NAUS Weekly Update.
If you prefer not to receive any further email from
the National Association for Uniformed Services, please click here.

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

Veteran Legislative Update, Veteran Pals, Veterans Global

What Is A GWOT?

1 Comment

Oh, every now and then it seems like an obligation to keep our readers on top of the definitions that define our new veterans.

For those who have not followed the DOD name game, our veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are officially GWOT’s. They are veterans of the Global War on Terror. The curious thing about this terminology is that it has no geographic base or locale. Kinda creepy in some respects. It is as if we know that the War On Terror, which will never need to be officially declared as a war, will just go on ad infinitum. George Orwell would have a hey day with this terminology.

What is the next step; the Global Cosmic War?  Will we always be protecting the cosmos on our own? Do our allies call themselves GWOT’s? I do not know.

The other moniker that is new is the redefining of Iraqi Freedom. Seven years after we launched our “liberation,” of Iraq, the U.S. campaign in Iraq has been renamed, “Operation New Dawn.” The new name will start to be used in September. Curious eh? Why September? Is that when school starts in Tekrit?

Defense secretary Robert Gates tells us that the revised code name will, “recognize our evolving relationship with the government of Iraq.” I suspect this is code talk for our permanent presence in the cradle of civilization. They gave us Algebra the first time around. I wonder what we will be gifted this time? Surely not oil.

Doublespeak examples;

Collateral damage–civilian deaths

transfer tube–body bag

wet work–assasination

balanced scientists–biased science

aerial ordinance–bombs

ally–vasal state or colony

Politics

Stolen Valor And The Vulgar

11 Comments
The Purple Heart
The Purple Heart

In 2005 when President Bush wisely enacted the Stolen Valor Act we had just heard the tales of Steve Burton,the bogus Marine Lt. Colonel who sported a chest full of medals and ribbons he awarded himself by filling out some mail order forms.

Steven Burton was a bank teller with a fantasy life that consumed him. Since the outing of Burton, approximately 60 others have  been nabbed in their quest for a confabulated notoriety.

Curiously there are no women in these ranks. There must some deep archetypal  meaning to this gender tilt and the need for men to reinvent for themselves a past life of valor. After all, the root of the word valor simply means ‘value.’  Are these men so suffering from the lack of value and self-esteem that the impostor persona affords them a Walter Mitty life in real time?

This syndrome does not discriminate against socio-economic status. When Illinios Circuit Court Judge Michael O’Brien got caught in the cookie jar of bravery for polishing his two Medal of Honor medals—yes two, he simply resigned to avoid prosecution for fraud.  Wrong! There should be no path around prosecution. At the very minimum the offense of stolen valor should carry the same weight as impersonating a police officer.

If as Shakespeare penned, “the better part of valor is discretion,” then our courts need to valorize with great discretionary courage the distinction between a combatant, who wrote the proverbial blank check for liberty with his/her life, from the commoner who may well be a fine citizen but must be stripped of the warrior moniker and resume add-ons.

Possibly a community penance and public apology instituted by the courts would abate such egomaniacal behavior. A Scarlett Letter in the form of an upside down “V” worn for a month in public parks may be the proper consequence.

It does appear, however, that a man will starve his own infirmities to support his intractable vanity, as the beat goes on with the continued emergence of the vulgar feigning of valor.

In our own Arizona backyard, JD “Duke” Schechter, an Arizona State Senate candidate was exposed for claiming a Silver Star and Purple Hearts.   Don’t you love these tough guys named Duke?

David Vincent Weber, 69, from San Diego was charged with a misdemeanor for wearing fake medals at a Veterans Day event. Weber was posing as a retired Marine General and was given the red carpet treatment. Bold eh? Maybe there should be a ribbon for such aberrant behavior.  It could be laced with pepper spray that is released each time they lie.

One would think that the fanfare given in the media would scare the crap out of these phony GI Joe”s, but it does not.

In my travels amongst  a wide population of veteran circles I hear stories to this day. It may be that so much time has been spent on the construction of a war time edifice that the individual actually believes and lives out snippets of truth– so the parts become the whole.

An acquaintance of mine, a retired Army Captain, Tom Carhart  who served in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Tiger Force and works as a speaker/archivist for West Point, hosted us in September of 2003 at his home in Falls Church, Va.  The war stories were flowing amongst a collection of combat veterans and good wine.  Carhart suggested to to us old grunts that because of the duration of the war and the immense number of veterans one could meet, in that 15 year period,  hundreds of vets and a good wanna-be could actually cobble together  a plausible story by adopting bit and pieces of everyone else’s war encounters.

While the result of these confabulated tales was just one big fat lie, we all concurred that these dudes were good hearted men who embodied a pronounced, paradoxical as it may be, respect for the the combat soldier. They are mostly helping spirits who have had trauma elsewhere in their lives and use the war as a mask for other symptomatic behavior they would rather not expose.

Our motorcycle traveling partner, ” Manic Mike,” once said, “I feel both sympathy and pity for those REMF’s,( Rear Echelon Mother F- – kers) who wanted so badly to be in the tall grass.”

I am reminded of Ernest Hemingway’s  rather twisted characterization of the support soldier who never fired his weapon, nor was fired upon.  “And they never even got to experience the glory of war,” Hemmingway said.   If you place that phrase in the context of his novel, you will see he was satirizing the glory of war while shedding light on the profile of certain non- combatants.  It pans two ways.

” It is a vulgar error that the thunder never kills anyone who is asleep.”  Cotton Mather

“The vulgar, thus through imitation errors.” Pope

The meaning of the word vulgar has its roots in a slam on common people.

Is the motivation to fictionalize ones soldiering into a non-fiction war documentary but a self imposed initiation rite and a way out of the intolerable mediocrity of the commoner?

In now the sixth episode of the HBO series, “Pacific.” I am struck by the humility and lack of boisterous tales from the men who so valiantly fought at Guadalcanal and many of the Solomon Islands. That is valor! That is a Band of Brothers with a chemistry that is palpable.

Should you ever wonder if you have Stolen Valor at your Church, School, Soccer, Boy Scouts or the workplace—look and listen for the most vocal in the bunch. They probably lack a valence factor, defining what happens when atoms bond with each other. Most of these men will be singular actors with no supporting cast.

Politics

Notes From Director Of "Last Of the Boys"

Leave a comment

Director’s Notes
Memories are less about validating or authenticating the past
than they are about organizing the present and constructing
strategies with which one might imagine a livable future.
Alison Landsberg
The Sixties. Woodstock, Free love, Peace, Hippies, Hashish.
VIETNAM. The Sixties. Hendrix, Dylan, Donovan, Biaz, Beatles, Cocker,
Crosby, Counterculture, Cocaine. VIETNAM. The Sixties. Communism,
Cold War, Kennedy, Camelot, Johnson, Nixon, Napalm. VIETNAM.
The Sixties. Scrutinized, eulogized, epitomized, emphasized,
rationalized, and romanticized. VIETNAM…
With its infamies, explanations, and heartbreak the Vietnam War is
arguably the major event to engross the nation during this
tumultuous decade. It is no wonder that writers are drawn to the
resonance and power of the time. It is no wonder that Vietnam
remains an issue in our nation’s politics and a source of anger and
conflict for our nation’s people. It is no wonder that forty some years
later we are still willing, and perhaps eager, to witness yet another
rendering of the experience. ‘
I was drawn to this story by the characters who drive it and because
the war in Vietnam provides a rich backdrop against which to explore
the notions of love and loss, truths and half-truths, seeing and
believing …imagining the possibilities for a “livable future,” It has
been an incredible venture during which we as a company have
plotted and pondered, floundered, soared, sputtered, laughed, crie
and kicked to bring this work to fruition. I mean that in a good war.
Thank you for your patronage. You make the journey complete.

Susan Arnold- Director, “Last Of The Boys.”

Politics

Really, Really Good Deal For Beowulf Live Theater/ "Last Of the Boys"

1 Comment

Hi Mike,

Thanks for responding to Kathy Allen’s review. You understood exactly the point of this play.

I would like to offer the following to your compatriots for this coming Thursday’s performance –

For 10 Vets who would not otherwise be able to see this play because of their income situation, tell them to come to the theatre and use your name and I will give them comp tickets that night. They may bring a guest and only pay $5 for the guest ticket. This offer expires at 7:10 p.m. that night or when these tickets are gone.

For the remainder of the Vets you know, we will be happy to offer them a Buy one ticket at $15 and Get one ticket free.

This applies to service in any conflict but they must present proof of service – DD2 card, Active Military, VA card.

And it’s first come, first served until we fill our 95 seats on the night of performance.

Is there a way that you can get this offer out to the many service men and women who might not otherwise hear about this?

Thanks,

Beth

Beth Dell

Managing Director

Beowulf Alley Theatre

11 South 6th Avenue

Tucson, AZ 85701

(520) 622-4460 Admin.

(520) 882-0555 Box Office

theatre@beowulfalley.org

www.beowulfalley.org

Politics, Veteran Pals, Veterans Benefits, Veterans Global, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

Programs of Marine Corps League

Leave a comment

PROGRAMS OF THE MARINE CORPS LEAGUE
MARINES HELPING MARINES – WOUNDED MARINES PROGRAM
The program was created to support injured Marine Corps personnel located
at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, Walter Reed
Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, Brooke Army hospital in San
Antonio, as well as the Naval Hospitals at Balboa, Camp Pendleton and
elsewhere. The Wounded Marines Program works closely with the Wounded
Warrior Regiment. The scope of support encompasses; financial support,
visits from Marine Corps League members, off site day trips to include family
outings, dinners, short trips in support of the individual Marines’ needs and
professional sporting events as tickets and opportunities present themselves.
U. S. MARINES YOUTH PHYSICAL FITNESS PROGRAM
The League developed and administers a program that provides a physical
fitness regimen that promotes a healthy, drug free life style for elementary
and high school students.
YOUNG MARINES OF THE MARINE CORPS LEAGUE
A youth program emphasizing honesty, courage, respect, industry, loyalty,
dependability, and a sense of devotion to God, country, community and
family. The Young Marines program receives funding from Congress and the
United States Marine Corps primarily because of their drug interdiction focus
on drug education and prevention.
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Members of the Marine Corps League fund scholarships through donations
from individual members and subordinate units of the Marine Corps League
and Auxiliary. Children and former Marines are eligible for academic
scholarships for attendance at accredited colleges and universities.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
The Marine Corps League is a member of The Military Coalition and
participates in National and State legislative issues that affect military
readiness, benefits and entitlements of active duty personnel as well as
Veterans Benefits programs effecting former and retired Marines.
VETERANS SERVICE OFFICER PROGRAM
The National Headquarters retains a full-time staff member who assists
veterans in adjudicating claims against the government as a result of active
duty service. Claims are processed through the Department of Veterans
Affairs or other appropriate agencies of the federal government.
VETERANS AFFAIRS VOLUNTARY SERVICE PROGRAM (VAVS)
Marine Corps League members contribute thousands of man-hours each
year supplementing staffs at VA Hospitals and facilities in providing morale,
comfort and assistance to institutionalized veterans.
r~
MARINE CORPS LEAGUE AUXILIARY
organization of the Marine Corps League. The Auxiliary was formed: To
Preserve the traditions and promote the interests of the United States Marine
Corps; To maintain true allegiance to American institutions; To hold sacred
the history and memory of the men and women who have given their lives to
this Nation; To perpetuate the history of the United States Marine Corps and
by fitting acts, to observe the anniversaries of historical occasions of particular
interest to Marines; To create a bond of comradeship between the Auxiliary
and the Marine Corps League; To aid voluntarily and to render assistance to
all Marines and former Marines as well as to their families; To help decorate
the graves of all deceased Marines whenever and wherever possible; To
strive for the passage of legislation favorable to the Marine Corps League,
Inc. and to the United States Marine Corps and its personnel; To always
foster love of Honesty, Loyalty and Truth, and a reverence to our God, Our
Country, Our Family and Our Home.
MILITARY ORDER OF DEVIL DOGS
The fun and honor society of the Marine Corps League.
TOYS-FOR- TOTS
Marine Corps League Detachments in nearly every community take part
annually in the United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys-For-Tots campaign
to raise funds and collect and distribute toys to needy children. In communities
where there is an existing Marine Corps Reserve Unit, the League works
hand in hand supporting their campaign. In other communities, the Marine
Corps League takes the lead, ensuring a successful campaign.
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
The Marine Corps League has long regarded the program of the Boy Scouts
of America as in support of the Preamble of the Constitution of the League.
The League supports the Boy Scouts of America as they promote traditional
family values to America’s youth. The Marine Corps League participates in
Scouting through assistance with units, districts, and councils, in community
projects, merit badge programs, and special recognition of Eagle Scouts.
MARINE-4-L1FEIINJURED MARINE SUPPORT PROGRAM
The League works very closely with the Marine Corps’ M-4-L program,
providing mentors nationwide. In areas of the country where there is no
Marine Corps “point of contact”, the League works directly with M-4-L
Headquarters to provide services to transitioning Marines.
ANNUAL CONVENTIONS
Members find the State and National Conventions of the League ideal vacation
venues for themselves and family members. Held in a different city each
year, many families attend year after year and particularly enjoy the many
planned activities and tours related to these get-togethers.

Veteran Legislative Update, Veterans Benefits, Veterans Global, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

Nighthawk 72 Detachment of Marine Corps League/ Mission Statement

1 Comment

I was recently asked what the function of  a Marine Corps League Detachment is and what  purpose they serve. Good question. Since this one is so new, I thought I would just let you read for yourselves, the mission statement from the powers that be.

The Marine Corps League is a charter member of The Military Coalition, The
National Marine Corps Council, Ad Hoc Committee, Navy and Marine Corps
Council, the National Veterans Day Committee, and is represented on
countless committees and programs serving the military and veteran
community.
The League participates in patriotic functions such as the National Memorial
Day Parade and the National 4th of July Parade in Washington as well as
countless statewide and community parades around the country. We provide
representation to the U.S. Congress in legislative matters affecting the United
States Marine Corps, national security and veteran’s benefits through our
National Legislative Committee. Most importantly, Marine Corps League
Detachments are actively involved in Community based programs throughout
the country.
Once A Marine … Always A Marine!
Interesting in becoming a member?
Contact:
Don LaVetter
dontfg@cox.net
520-623-7471
J
THE MARINE CORPS LEAGUE
Mission Statement
Members of the Marine Corps League join together in camaraderie and
fellowship for the purpose of preserving the traditions and promoting the
interests of the United States Marine Corps, banding together those who are
now serving in the United States Marine Corps and those who have been
honorably discharged from that service that they may effectively promote
the ideals of American freedom and democracy, voluntarily aiding and
rendering assistance to all Marines, FMF Corpsmen and former Marines
and FMF Corpsmen and to their widows and orphans; and to perpetuate the
history of the United States Marine Corps and by fitting acts to observe the
anniversaries of historical occasions of particular interest to Marines.
History
The Marine Corps League perpetuates the traditions and spirit of ALL Marines
and Navy FMF Corpsmen, who proudly wear or who have worn the eagle,
globe and anchor of the Corps. It takes great pride in crediting its founding in
1923 to World War I hero, then Major General Commandant John A. Lejeune.
It takes equal pride in its Federal Charter, approved byAn Act of the Seventy-
Fifth Congress of the United States of America and signed and approved by
President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 4, 1937. The League is the only
Federally Chartered Marine Corps related veterans organization in the country.
Since its earliest days, the Marine Corps League has enjoyed the support
and encouragement of the active duty and Reserve establishments of the U.
S. Marine Corps. Today, the League boasts a membership of more than
76,000 men and women, officer and enlisted, active duty, Reserve Marines,
honorably discharged Marine Veterans and qualified Navy FMF Corpsmen
and is one of the few Veterans Organizations that experiences increases in
its membership each year.
The Marine Corps League is headed by an elected National Commandant,
with 14 elected National Staff Officers who serve as trustees. The National
Board of Trustees coordinates the efforts of 48 department, or state, entities
and the activities of over 1000 community-based detachments located
throughout the United States and overseas. The day-to-day operations of
the League are under the control of the National Executive Director with the
responsibility for the management and direction of all programs, activities,
and affairs of the Marine Corps League as well as supervising the National
Headquarters staff.
The prime authority of the League is derived from its Congressional charter
and from its annual National Convention held each August in different major
U.S. cities throughout the nation. It is a not-for-profit organization within the
provisions of the Internal Revenue Service Code 501 (c) (4), with a special
group exemption letter which allows for contributions to the Marine Corps
League, its Auxiliary and subsidiary units, to be tax deductible by the donor.

Veterans Events

Last Of The Boys At Beowulf Theatre

2 Comments

Sent by: Beowulf Alley Theatre Company
Reply to the sender 		http://beowulfalley.pmailus.com/pmailweb/raf?ide=AYYGTlLo3boT1Z206nKNYx-eusxs
For Immediate Release
April 15, 2010
Beth Dell
Managing Director

Read the Reviews!

Reviewers and Audience Members Love It!

Tickets are still available – for now…

From our audiences:

“Breathtaking!” “Everyone should see this powerful piece of theatre!” “Brilliant!”

And from our reviewers – read the full review at the links below:

“The power of theater is pressure-packed into Beowulf Alley’s production of Last of the Boys… Seldom this season has any local company presented such a solid effort to reach such a compelling conclusion. The finale comes screaming out of the darkness, full of battle noise and desperate sobbing, a truly poetic conclusion packing many kinds of impact.”

-Chuck Graham
Let the Show Begin at tucsonstage.com

“Director Susan Arnold has worked wonders with this production—choosing the right cast, helping the actors create detailed performances, and not backpedaling on the script’s stylization. She has shaped a production that shies away from answers. Instead, she favors the shattered fragments of how we experience, perceive and remember Vietnam—and, by extension, the wars of today…The result, like the play’s own symbolism, is rich, complicated, emotional and not easily put into words.”

-Nathan Christensen

tucsonweekly.com

The Cast includes Royah Beheshti, Mary Davis, Lucas Gonzales, Gabe Nagy, and Clark Ray.

Ben and Jeeter fought in Vietnam, and for thirty years they have remained united by a war that divided the nation. Joined by Jeeter’s new girlfriend and her off-the-grid whiskey-drinking mother, these friends gather at Ben’s remote trailer for one final hurrah. As the night deepens, the past makes a return appearance, and its many ghosts come flickering to life. This is a fierce, funny, haunted play about a friendship that ends-and a war that does not.

Performance Dates, Times and Ticket Prices:

Dates and Times-

Thursdays – Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. April 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24.

Sundays, 1:30 p.m., April 18 and April 25

Ticket Prices-

General, by phone or at the door – $20 (VISA, MasterCard, Discover)

Online only discount – $18 via PayPal or Google (any credit card they accept)

Military Discount – $15 (guaranteed seating, must present military ID at will call night of performance)

Student/Military Rush – $12 (cash only, ID required, 15 minutes prior to curtain, based on seating availability)

Box Office Phone Number: (520) 882-0555

Run Time with intermission: 2 -1/4 hours

Parking: There is no charge for parking on the street or at meters on weekends and holidays! Pennington Garage is only $2 after 6pm weekdays and on weekends it is also only $2 all day. The lot across from the theatre at 6th Avenue and Broadway is available after 5 p.m. weekdays and all day Saturdays and Sundays.
***
Special Downtown Event Note:
Tucson Weekly’s Club Crawl will take place in the evening on Saturday, April 17, but traffic patterns will be adjusted earlier in the day. Please see our website for suggested routes and plan to leave home a little early. The two main streets that will be closed off for the event are 5th Ave between Toole and Broadway (at 8am) and Congress Street between 4th Ave and 6th Ave (closed starting at noon). The City will re-route west bound traffic from Congress Street down Broadway which becomes two way traffic from 4th Ave to 6th Ave. The normal west bound traffic flow on Congress Street resumes at 6th Ave. Come see the play and then join in the festivities of the Tucson Weekly’s Club Crawl!
***
This e-mail was sent from Beowulf Alley Theatre Company
Immediate removal with PatronMail®
SecureUnsubscribe.
http://www.patrontechnology.com/lp/lp_gen1.htm
To forward this e-mail to a friend or colleague, use this link.
To change your e-mail address or update preferences, use this link.

Come join a group of Vietnam Veterans who are attending Friday night.  We can all kibbutz afterward.