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Chapter and Local
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Mary Agnes Neligon
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Mary Agnes (Guyer) Neligon, 86, of
South Windsor and Hartford, beloved wife of the late
Cornelius "Whitey" Neligon and mother of our two
Chapter 120 members Mary Beaulieu and William
Neligon, died Tuesday, July 14, 2009.
Mrs. Neligon was very involved in Chapter affairs
during the early years of Chapter 120. She marched
in every parade, proudly wearing her red "Remember
Vietnam Veterans" sweatshirt, and helped out at many
Chapter activities. She loved her vets. May you rest
in peace, Mary.
See Obituary |
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National Convention
Connecticut delegates
wrapped up their week at the 14th VVA National Convention in
Louisville KY on August 2. Chapter 120 delegates will report to the
membership at our regular Chapter meeting on September 3,
2009. |
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Chapter 120 Bus
Trip to Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Chapter
120 Vice President Bob Burgess is planning a one-day
bus trip to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in
New York City in October 2009. Admission to the
museum is $13 for veterans. The cost of the bus trip
will depend upon the number of members wishing to go
on the trip. More information will be available at
the Chapter meeting on September 3, 2009. Click
on the Intrepid logo below for a virtual tour.
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Important!
Please Notify us of your
address and telephone number changes. Without your
up-to-date address, we cannot send the newsletter or any
other important correspondence to you. In several instances,
we have attempted to contact members without success because the member's address
and/or phone number had changed without our notification. |
Phone Cards for Service Members
The Chapter still has phone
cards available for service members who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Since the Chapter is limited to the number of phone cards we
can give, we ask that these military service personnel be
related to Chapter members. Any Chapter members who have a
relative serving in Iraq or Afghanistan are urged to contact
Mary Beaulieu at 335-2681 or via e-mail at
mbeaulieu2@cox.net
Membership Renewals
Is your membership renewal about to become due? Please renew
today so you can continue to receive the award winning Chapter newsletter,
as well as The VVA Veteran! And as you renew, please
consider joining the other 129 members who have chosen Life
membership.
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From Pamela R. Redmond, Public Affairs, VA Connecticut
Healthcare System
Veterans Roundtable in Preston CT
The VA Connecticut Healthcare System will host a Veterans
Roundtable on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at
VFW Post 9452 in
Preston. The post is located at 28 Spicer Road. The event
will include the following presentations:
• VA Connecticut Healthcare System overview
• Enrollment and eligibility
• Primary Care
• Case Management
• My Healthy Vet
• Home Based Primary Care
The event is 11am to 1:30pm and includes lunch. Attendees
are asked to RSVP by Aug. 19 to 203-932-5711 ext. 2617. VA
especially wants to invite leaders of veteran service
organizations, veteran caregivers/family members and anyone
involved in an agency or organization that provides services
in which the clientele includes veterans. This could include
visiting nurses, town social services staff, homeless
shelters, etc. |
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25th Anniversary DVD
Several 25th Anniversary DVDs are available for a cost of $6
(includes postage). There are a limited number of DVDs left.
Please call the Chapter office at 860-568-9212 to reserve
your copy today! |
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Connecticut Department of
Veterans' Affairs |
Stand Down “Connecticut Cares”
Every year, the Connecticut Department of Veterans’
Affairs conducts a full day event called “Stand
Down” to provide free assistance and service
information to homeless and indigent veterans of our
state. This year’s event is scheduled for Friday
September 18, 2009 from 7 am to 3 pm on the grounds
of the Connecticut Veterans’ Home in Rocky Hill. See
Stand Down 2009
2009 Veterans' Resource Guide
Available
The CT Dept of Veterans' Affairs has created the
2009 Veterans' Resource Guide. |
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POW/MIA |
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Remains Identified as Navy Captain Michael
Scott Speicher
The Armed Forces Institute of
Pathology (AFIP) has positively identified remains recovered
in Iraq as those of Captain Michael Scott Speicher. Captain
Speicher was shot down flying a combat mission in an F/A-18
Hornet over west-central Iraq on January 17th, 1991 during
Operation Desert Storm. See
DOD Release
DoD Identifies Operation Enduring Freedom Soldier
The Department of Defense announced today the identity of a
soldier listed as Missing-Captured on July 3 while
supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl, 23, of Ketchum, Idaho, was declared
Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown (DUSTWUN) on July 1 and his
status was changed to "Missing-Captured” on July 3.
Pfc. Bergdahl is a member of 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute
Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry
Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.
For more information on the soldier, media may contact Lt.
Col. Timothy Marsano at (208) 422-526 8 or the Fort
Richardson public affairs office at (907) 240-3126 or (907)
384-2072.
DPMO News Releases
For the latest news
releases from the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel
Office (DPMO), click
HERE
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On The Hill |
House Passes Bill to Provide Unprecedented Support to
Veteran Caregivers
On Monday, July 27, 2009, House Committee
on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) announced
that the House of Representatives approved three bills that
would improve benefits and services to veterans provided by
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). See
House passes |
Burr Bill Would Provide Care for
Lejeune Vets Exposed to Water Contaminants
Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Ranking Member of the Senate
Veterans' Affairs Committee, introduced the Caring for Camp
Lejeune Veterans Act of 2009, legislation that would require
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide health
care to veterans and their family members who have
experienced adverse health effects as a result of exposure
to well water contaminated by human carcinogens at Camp
Lejeune in North Carolina. See
Burr bill
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Veterans'
Affairs News |
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Veterans Affairs CIO Explains
IT Overhaul
The Department of Veterans Affairs has experienced a
number of well-publicized IT failures, most recently
the February collapse of a patient scheduling
application project that was 17 months behind
schedule and 110% over budget. See
VA CIO Explains
Female Veterans Fight for Healthcare
The VA starts to adjust a system designed for a male
military As debate heats up over healthcare reform, military
veterans are fighting for another kind of improvement: the
expansion of health services for female vets. See
Female Veterans
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The Post–9⁄11 GI Bill
We are now accepting applications for the Post–9⁄11 GI Bill
benefit that is effective August 1, 2009. Individuals with
active duty service since September 11, 2001, may be
eligible for this benefit and can apply on–line at
www.GIBILL.VA.gov
2009 Federal
Veterans' Benefits Now Available
The 2009 Federal Veterans'
Benefits booklet is now available on the VA website.
Click on the picture to the right.
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VVA to VA: Don't Wait for Us to Die: Grant Association to
Agent Orange Exposure For Parkinson's, Heart Disease,
Hypertension
After reviewing scientific studies of
the past few years, the Institute of Medicine of the
National Academy of Sciences has determined there is
"limited or suggestive evidence" of an association between
Parkinson's disease and ischemic heart disease with exposure
to Agent Orange.
"We thank the IOM for their efforts and applaud them for
their conclusions," said John Rowan, National President of
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA). "Now, we urge the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to immediately make Vietnam
veterans with either of these conditions eligible for
disability compensation as well as health care, and we will
petition him to do precisely this. See
VVA Press release |
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Mesothelioma Website offers Information for Veterans
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects military veterans who were exposed to asbestos during their time in the service. Asbestos has unique and valuable properties, and so was used extensively in military applications for decades. Experts estimate that military exposure may account for up to 30 percent of all mesothelioma cases diagnosed in the United States.
This form of cancer affects the mesothelium – the membrane surrounding the lungs. The early
symptoms of mesothelioma
are not specific to this disease, and even experienced doctors often miss the diagnosis, believing the patient to have pneumonia or some other lung disease. It is important that anyone who was exposed to asbestos mention the exposure to their doctor whenever they are being checked for problems in the chest or lungs.
Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of the disease, and is treated with surgery and chemotherapy. Specialists in mesothelioma can advise patients with the best course of action for them.
For more valuable information, see
Mesothelioma web site |
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Commentary:
100,000 reasons to shed no tears for Robert McNamara
In the wake of the death of one of the main architects of
the Vietnam War, former Defense Secretary Robert Strange
McNamara — old, gray, frail and full of his 93 years of
living — many have rushed to examine and weigh his life and
times.
The more charitable, politicians for the most part, have
declared that at least McNamara, three decades after his war
and Jack Kennedy's war and Lyndon B. Johnson's war ended so
badly, had confessed to errors and apologized in his 1995
book IN RETROSPECT. See
Galloway Commentary |
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A veteran - whether active duty, retired, or
national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one
point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable
to "The United States of America," for an amount of
"up to and including my life." That is honor, and
there are "way too many" people in this country who
no longer understand it. |
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