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Chapter and Local
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Chapter 120 Visits USS Intrepid
Chapter 120 members,
their families and friends enjoyed a day trip to the USS
Intrepid Museum in NYC on October 17, 2009. Thirty-one
boarded the tour bus early in the morning at East Hartford
and traveled to the Intrepid.
The group toured the USS Intrepid, the
Growler (SSG-577 - one of the first nuclear missile
diesel-powered submarines) and numerous exhibits aboard the
Intrepid.
Thanks go to Chapter 120 Vice President
Bob Burgess for introducing the idea of the trip and
President Paul Barry Jr. for making detailed arrangements,
including reservations at the Landmark Tavern in NYC.
Everyone enjoyed the day.
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| Chapter members, family and friends pose
for photo at the bow of the Intrepid. Photo by Nancy Rousselle |
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| Bob Burgess (right) served aboard the USS
Intrepid during the Vietnam War, and was instrumental in
making this tour possible. Photo by Nancy Rousselle
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Connecticut Veterans’ Day Parade
All Chapter
120 members are encouraged to march is this year's parade on
November 8, 2009. Form up will be at 11:30am in the
parking/staging area off Capitol Ave., with a step off at
1:00pm. Total marching distance is 1.26 miles. Car-pooling from the Union Hall is
encouraged, as parking at the parade site is at a premium.
Please meet at the Union Hall at 11:00am.
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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. |
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 130 members who have chosen Life
membership.
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
Chapter 484 Launches Website
Connecticut Chapter 484 launched
their new
website on October 10, 2009. Chapter 484 welcomes you to
check their site for new updates about their organization
and the fundraising for the Chapter's 10th Anniversary East
Haven Fireworks show on Sunday June 27th 2010 (Rain date
Monday June 28th 2010). Their shows are fully funded through
donations.
You can contact the Vietnam Veterans and give them your
opinion on what you would like to see at the 10th
Anniversary show. Veterans urged to attend unveiling
State
Rep. and House Chair of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee
Graziani encourages veterans to attend the public unveiling
of the Korean War Memorial in the Legislative Office
Building (Room 2C) on Nov. 9.
Graziani, state officials and veterans’
organizations will pay special tribute to Connecticut's
Korean War Veterans at the ceremony, Nov. 9 at 3:30 p.m. A
reception will follow in the first floor atrium.
”It is very fitting that our state honors
what history describes as the 'forgotten war' with this
memorial,” Graziani said in a statement. “We owe to all
those who served their country bravely to defend our
democracy. They have earned a special place in our hearts
and I am pleased to see the Korean War Memorial in their
honor.”
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Connecticut Department of
Veterans' Affairs |
NASDVA Elects New Officers
The National
Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA)
elected new officers to serve during the 2009 to 2010 term,
including Connecticut's veterans' affairs commissioner.
Linda Schwartz was elected senior vice
president of the association, whose members are the top
veterans' affairs official in each state and territory.
Members work together on veterans' legislation and to
develop and share best practices for the provision of
veterans' benefits and services.
NASDVA provides a medium for the exchange
of ideas and information between states so they can learn
from each other and organize responses to issues that face
veterans nationwide. The organization works to secure
uniformity, equality, efficiency, and effectiveness in
providing services to veterans and their families,
especially in regards to claims representation. They are
willing partners with the Congress, the federal Department
of Veterans Affairs, veteran services organizations and the
Department of Defense. On the web:
http://www.nasdva.net/
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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Few Clues in Search for U.S. Soldier
Military officials in Afghanistan have no new updates on the
23-year-old The troops hunting for the young private have
little to go on: He disappeared near the border with
Pakistan, his Taliban captors released a propaganda video of
him two weeks later, downcast and frightened. Then, at least
publicly, nothing about the only U.S. soldier missing in the
Afghan war. See
Few clues
Medal of Honor urged for Chaplain from
Kansas
As the Rev. Emil Kapaun’s fellow prisoners of war
returned home from the Korean War, they shared stories of
the Kansan’s self-sacrifice. The prisoners of the 8th Cavalry Regiment
spoke of how Kapaun, a Catholic priest and an Army chaplain,
continued to look after his men even though he was wounded.
Kapaun would sneak out to scrounge food for those too weak
to eat, fashion makeshift containers to collect water, and
wash their soiled clothes. See
Medal of Honor
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 |
Advanced VA Health Funding
The VA Health Care
advanced funding bill H.R. 1016, was amended and approved by
the Senate on October 15. It was then sent back to the House
where it was approved and sent to the President for his
signature. The President signed the bill into law on October
22 in a signing ceremony attended by veterans’ service
organizations, including the VVA. The changes made by the
Senate were the result of a conference with the House. The
bill provides funds specifically for VA Health Care accounts
one year in advance and would allow the VA to plan more
efficiently and have no lapses in treatments for veterans.
VA Appropriations
With
eight appropriations bills yet to complete
in the Senate, congress was
forced to pass yet another continuing resolution bill to
keep the government running through December 15. The VA appropriations bill is
one of those waiting for Senate action. |
Veterans’ Benefit Enhancement Act Passes
Senate
The U.S. Senate unanimously approved the Veterans’
Benefits Enhancement Act of 2009 (S.728), as amended. This
bill would: (1) provide for retroactive payments to those
service members who suffered traumatic injury while on
active duty on or between Oct. 7, 2001, and Nov. 30, 2005;
(2) strengthen life insurance and mortgage insurance
programs for disabled veterans; (3) remove the enrollment
cap on the number of veterans allowed in VA’s Independent
Living program; and (4) ease the burden of proof on veterans
seeking to establish that their disabilities are related to
their service.
FY 2011 IB Critical Issues Now Online
The Independent Budget (IB) critical issues report for fiscal
year 2011 is now online. The critical issues report is
designed to alert Congress, the Administration and VA on
issues we believe need special scrutiny and attention. The
new IB will be released in February, concurrent with the
President's proposed VA budget release. Coauthored by VFW,
AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans and Paralyzed Veterans of
America, the IB is a comprehensive recommendation of what VA
needs to provide healthcare, benefits and services to
America's veterans. For the FY11 IB critical issues report,
go to
http://www.independentbudget.org/2011/CI_2011.pdf
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Veterans'
Affairs News |
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VA Extends “Agent Orange” Benefits to More
Veterans - Parkinson’s, Two Other Illnesses Recognized
Relying on an independent study by the Institute of Medicine
(IOM), Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki
decided to establish a service-connection for Vietnam
Veterans with three specific illnesses based on the latest
evidence of an association with the herbicides referred to
Agent Orange. See
VA press release
From VA Watchdog dot Org
VA Confirms New
Agent Orange Presumptive Diseases – Now What?
Approval of
ischemic heart disease expected to clog VA's already
backlogged disability benefits system. See
Now What
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Veterans’ Roundtables Scheduled
The VA Connecticut
Healthcare System is presenting two Veterans’ Roundtables
this month, at Hartford Public Library on November 5, 2009
and Danbury Library on November 13, 2009. Topics include VA health care benefits,
eligibility and enrollment, medical and mental health
services, prescription services and much more.
All veterans, family members, caregivers
and those who are interested in serving the veteran
community are invited to join in these Roundtables. Veterans
who have never taken advantage of their VA health care
benefits are especially encouraged to attend. For more information, call 203-937-3824
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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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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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