|
|
|
Chapter and Local
News |
“Connection” Editor Presented Award: Thanks
to All
 |
I sincerely thank you all for such a surprising and
wonderful honor to accept the VVA National e-Newsletter of
the Year Award at the Chapter membership meeting on 3
September. With all the fanfare, one would have thought I
had received a Bronze or Silver Star. Hey - It’s only a
newsletter, folks!
|
You made that particular day turn into
such a happy one, after dealing with my wife’s illness
throughout the earlier part of that day. In fact, you even
helped one sick lady smile (and enjoy the piece of cake I
brought home to her).
Since I began working on the newsletter in
early 1992, I did not realize that the journey would last so
long. Over the past 17 years, the newsletter has evolved
into a monthly labor of love – one that I hope has brought
helpful information to our Chapter members and others.
And in 1999, thanks to a very dear Aussie
“Mate” who has since passed away, the newsletter joined the
modern world of the internet. Today, that too has matured
into a useful source of veteran information.
But none of this would have been possible
if it were not for the support of the Board of Directors and
officers, and of course, our Chapter members and their
valuable input to this award winning newsletter. This has
always been your newsletter – I just put it all together and
distribute that news and information.
Again, I thank you all!
The Editor
________________________________
|
|
Chapter 120 Bus
Trip to Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Chapter
120 is sponsoring a one-day bus trip to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in
New York City on October 17, 2009. For details, see
"What's Happening" on our Main page. Click
on the Intrepid logo below for a virtual tour.
|
|
 |
|
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
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! |
|
|
|
Chapter’s Adopted Marine Deploys for 3rd
Tour
Marine Corporal Michael Gero, grandson of Chapter
member Nancy Rousselle, recently deployed for his third tour
in Iraq, with Combat Logistics Battalion 46, Transportation
Support Company. Combat Logistics Battalion 46CLR-25 (CLB
46) is a unique Battalion made up of service members from 54
different sites, and 40 states across the nation. This is
the first time since 2003 that a Marine Battalion has been
created from 95% reserve military members. Cpl. Gero and his
unit are scheduled to return in March 2010.
Before deploying, Michael spent time with
his family and friends in August. Chapter 120 donated phone
cards to Michael during his visit. Through efforts began by
Mary Beaulieu, Chapter 120 offers free phone cards to
military service personnel related to Chapter members.
Our prayers are with Michael and his unit.
May they return safely to their family and friends.
Chapter 120 is asking you to donate items
for a “care package” for our young marine. Items needed are:
Nutter Butter cookies (individual packages
with 6 cookies), Mustang magazines, gum (Juicy Fruit, etc.),
paddle ball game (with wooden paddle and ball on the rubber
string), iTunes gift card, cigars, balls (baseball, soccer
ball, basket ball), simple items that help relieve the
stress in a war zone, beef jerky, hard candies, chips,
pretzel rods. Nothing chocolate, as it will melt before it
arrives. More ideas for items will be mentioned at the
October Chapter 120 membership meeting. |
|
|
|
Connecticut Department of
Veterans' Affairs |
Connecticut Stand Down
2009
A record 1,200
homeless and needy veterans from across Connecticut
attended “Stand Down 2009” on Sep. 18. Stand Down is
an annual outreach event at the state Veterans Home
campus, designed to provide one-stop support
services to attendees. Connecticut DVA Commissioner
Linda Schwartz stated that there were 860 veterans
who pre-registered for the event. More than 60
government and private agencies offered a variety of
services to the veterans.
The record-sized crowd was partly
the result of increased awareness of the event, held
for the 12th time since 1992. But it also served as
a reminder of how difficult it is for some veterans
to get jobs and make ends meet.
“It’s a reflection of the economic
times,” said John Wiltse, deputy commissioner of the
state Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Chapter and State Council
donations to Stand Down 2009 were presented to Linda
Schwartz, CT DVA Commissioner during the event. Mary
Beaulieu presented $1,500 to Commissioner Schwartz
in memory of Mary’s recently departed Mother, Mary
Neligon. The State Council also donated $500 toward
Stand Down 2009, and an individual donation
from Chapter 120 member Taylor Culin for $100, making a total donation of
$2,100. 12 Connecticut VVA members volunteered,
including two CT VVA service representatives.
The Mobile Vet Center (MVC) van
from Lewiston Maine was also at Stand Down, manned
by Vet Center Team Leader and long-time Chapter 120
member Roy Driver. Roy was a Team leader at the
Hartford Vet Center from 1980 through 1991, prior to
moving to his current position in Lewiston. Fifty
(50) of these vehicles are located throughout the
U.S. and devoted to outreach for rural veterans.
Five are located throughout Region 1 (VISN1).
“Coming back to Connecticut to
participate in the Stand Down is wonderful because I
participated in the first Stand Down in Connecticut
the year after I moved here. It will be great to see
old friends”, Roy told the Chapter 120 editor.
Governor Announces Federal VA Stimulus
Funding for State Veterans Home Renovations
On September 12,
Governor M. Jodi Rell has announced that the U.S. Secretary
of Veterans Affairs has given conditional approval for
nearly $6 million in federal stimulus funding for
improvements to the living quarters at the State Veterans
Home in Rocky Hill. See
Stimulus Funding
2009 Veterans' Resource Guide
Available
The CT Dept of Veterans' Affairs has created the
2009 Veterans' Resource Guide. |
|
|
POW/MIA |
|
 |
POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony at
Newington VAMC
Chapter member and well-known POW/MIA
advocate Mary Beaulieu gave her inspirational keynote speech
once again at the National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony
at the Newington VAMC on September 18, 2009. Mary managed to
cover this event, then raced to Rocky Hill Veterans' Home to
present a donation at Stand Down. Great job, Mary!
DPMO News Releases
For the latest news
releases from the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel
Office (DPMO), click
HERE
|
|
|
On The Hill |
From NAUS Weekly Update for Sept. 11, 2009
Are Veterans’ Healthcare Benefits Protected? It Depends on
Who You Ask
President Obama attempted to alleviate veterans
concerns in his address to Congress on Wednesday night,
September 9. “One thing that reform won’t change is
veterans’ health care,” he said. “No one is going to take
away your benefits. That’s the truth.”
But one key lawmaker is not quite so sure.
In a written statement issued on September 10, Ranking
Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Rep.
Steve Buyer (R-IN), expressed concern that “in its current
form,
|
H.R. 3200 could result in bureaucratic
determinations that veterans enrolled in VA health care do
not meet acceptable coverage standards, exposing them to a
new 2.5 percent punitive individual income tax. This is just
one of several provisions in the bill that could harm
veterans.”
Prior to the summer recess, the House
Energy and Commerce Committee approved two of six changes to
H.R. 3200 that Rep. Buyer and other House lawmakers feel are
necessary to ensure veterans are not adversely affected by
the ongoing reform effort. The remaining four items have yet
to be addressed, including the provision exempting veterans
from the new healthcare tax. Rep. Buyer said that although
he has received assurances that these problems will be
fixed, he will “continue to hold the majority leadership
accountable, until veterans see the changes to the
legislation that they deserve and expect.”
____________________________________________
|
|
|
| |
|
Veterans'
Affairs News |
|
|
Important Message from the VA
The VA
Central Office has received many reports that Veterans are
being contacted by "Patient Care Group" representing that
they are helping administer VA prescriptions and stating
that the pharmacy billing procedures have changed and they
are therefore requesting Veteran credit card numbers for
prescription payments in advance of filling their
prescriptions. This is false. VA does not call Veterans
asking to disclose personal financial information over the
phone. VA has not changed its processes for dispensing
prescription medicines. |
VA Staffs Office for Survivors of Vets,
Service Members
To strengthen the programs of the Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the survivors of the nation’s
Veterans and military personnel, the Department has staffed
an office to serve as their advocate, with a charter that
includes creating or modifying programs, benefits and
services. See
VA Staffs Office |
VAOIG Report
Blasts VA for Misplaced, Lost Claims Folders
by Larry Scott, VA Watchdog dot Org
VAOIG estimates that claims folders for 296,00 vets were
misplaced and 141,000 folders were lost, a total of 10
percent of all folders.
What you will read in this report is beyond any credible
explanation ... and, you will notice that VBA did try to
explain away some of it. This is mismanagement, gross
incompetence, negligence and in some cases, I'm sure,
criminal. See
VAOIG Report
_____________________
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.
___________________________ |
 |
|
 |
VVA Press Release
New Zealand Leads by
Example, Recognizes Dioxin Link to Parkinson’s, Heart
Disease: Will Our VA Follow Quickly?
“It certainly comes as
good news to New Zealand’s veterans who served in Vietnam
that their government, agreeing with the recent report by
the Institute of Medicine here in this country, has quickly
decided to make Parkinson’s disease and ischemic heart
conditions presumptive to exposure to Agent Orange,” said
John Rowan, National President of Vietnam Veterans of
America (VVA). See
VVA Press Release |
|
|
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. |
|
|
|
|
