The
CONNECTION
A Publication of Connecticut Greater Hartford Chapter 120
Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc.
February 2010

 

Chapter and Local News

Elections coming in April
Elections for Chapter officers, Board of Directors, State Council Delegates and the Nominating Committee will be held on April 1, 2010 during the Chapter 120 membership meeting. It’s time to consider if you would want to run for any of these positions – it’s only two months away. We need new ideas, new members’ enthusiasm and a renewed sense of giving back to your Chapter. So please consider running for a position that you think you can make a difference and help Chapter 120 continue to excel at what it does for our veterans and their families.

If interested in any of these positions, contact any member of the Nominating Committee – Chairman Pete Lund, Bill Chiodo or John Cutler.

See Chapter 120 Election Rules

Veteran's Day at the Capitol
Veteran’s Day at the Capitol has been confirmed for Tuesday, February 23, 2010 from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM in Room 2A in the CT Legislative Office Building. We hope have a number of veterans testify.

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 133 members who have chosen Life membership.

 

Adopted Marine Welcomed Home
Cpl. Mike Gero was welcomed home by his family on Jan. 9 at Bradley International Airport, after returning to Camp Lejuene from Iraq. Cpl Gero has now completed three tours in Iraq in support of OIF.

Marine Cpl. Mike Gero is welcomed home by his family at Bradley International Airport on January 9, 2010.

Fellow Marine Staff Sgt. Jamison shakes hands with Cpl. Gero at Bradley International Airport. The two Marines served together during Cpl. Gero’s 1st and 3rd tours in Iraq.

From everyone at Chapter 120 - Welcome Home, Brother!


Connecticut Department of Veterans' Affairs

  

2009 Veterans' Resource Guide Available
The CT Dept of Veterans' Affairs has created the 2009 Veterans' Resource Guide.

POW/MIA

Air Force Pilot Missing In Action from Vietnam War Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced on Jan. 12 that the remains of Air Force Maj. Russell C. Goodman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial. See Missing Identified

Soldier Missing in Action from Vietnam War Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced on Jan. 29 that the remains of Army Specialist Lawrence L. Aldrich, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial. Army Specialist Lawrence L. Aldrich will be buried in his home town of Fort Worth, Texas. See Soldier Identified

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Assumes JPAC Command
U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Donna L. Crisp relinquished command of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command on Friday, Jan. 29 during a ceremony officiated by Adm. Robert F. Willard, commander of U.S. Pacific Command. See Command

DPMO News Releases
For the latest news releases from the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO), click HERE  

On The Hill

House Veterans' Affairs Committee Meets with VSO Leaders
On Wednesday, January 20, 2010, with both Democratic and Republican Members of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs in attendance, Chairman Bob Filner held a meeting with 40 veterans service organizations to discuss priorities for the second session of the 111th Congress. See Release

Veterans' Affairs Committee Approves Bills Aimed at Military Exposures, Homeless and Health Care
On January 28, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, chaired by Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), approved comprehensive legislation to respond to potential environmental hazard exposures on military installations, expand efforts to reduce veteran homelessness, and strengthen VA health care. Chairman Akaka’s military exposure legislation would provide care for individuals exposed to environmental hazards at Camp Lejeune and Atsugi Naval Air Facility, and set up a national response for other potential military installation exposures. See Release

News & Info Links 

 

Veterans' Affairs News

Veteran's widow battles killer parasite from Vietnam
Woman raises alert about cancer-causing disease
In the cruel way that war sometimes works, Vietnam killed Pete Harrison nearly 36 years after he came home.

Elusive as they were, Pete thought he knew his enemies over there - The Viet Cong, The North Vietnamese, Their sympathizers.

Nobody ever warned him about parasites in the water he drank, but they were there. Nobody ever mentioned the parasites could cause cancer, but they could. Nobody ever told him that cholangiocarcinoma might kill him some day, but it did. See Widow battles

VA Issues List of Ships that Qualify for Presumptive Agent Orange Exposure
From the Compensation and Pension Service Bulletin for January 2010
The VA Compensation and Pension (C&P) Service has initiated a program to collect data on Vietnam naval

operations for the purpose of providing information to assist with development in disability claims based on herbicide exposure from Navy Veterans.

To date, VA has received verification from various sources showing that a number of offshore “blue water” naval vessels conducted operations on the inland “brown water” rivers and Delta of Vietnam. VA has also identified certain ships and dates of inland waterway service.

If a veteran’s service aboard one of these ships can be confirmed through military records during the time frames specified, then exposure to herbicide agents can be presumed without further development. See C&P Service Bulletin
 

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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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