MAY - JUNE 2008 NEWSLETTER
| VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA, INC. P.O. BOX 6608 TEXARKANA, TX 75505-6608 www.vva278.org
OFFICERS JOIN VVA and AVVA |
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| VVA # 278's NEXT MEETING |
| VVA # 278's next meeting will be Sunday, May 18, 2008 at the American Legion Post at 525 East Broad Street.
The meal will begin at 1:30 pm and will consist of: smoked brisket, baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, soft drinks and coffee.. We ask all members to bring a covered dish and/or dessert to share. The business session will begin immediately after the meal is finished. Topics to be discussed will include: Veterans' issues updates; Committee reports; Fundraising ideas; Scholarship awards; Upcoming events (Fairs, Festivals, etc); critique on "Veterans' Information Fair"; VVA Texas State Council meeting in Denton (election); Memorial Day Services; etc., etc. Remember: Sunday, May 18 at 1:30 pm at the American Legion Post at 525 East Broad Street. We hope to see you there! |
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| VVA # 278's JUNE MEETING |
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VVA # 278's June meeting will be held on Sunday, June 15, 2008 at the American Legion Post at 525 East Broad Street. The meal will start at 1:30 pm and will consist of: ham, potato salad, soft drinks and coffee. We ask members to bring a covered dish and/or dessert to share. The business session will start immediately after the meal. Topics to be discussed will include: Report on VVA Texas State Council meeting and election; Report on VVAFT meeting and election; Veteran's issues updates' Committee reports; Upcoming events; etc., etc. Remember: Sunday, June 15 at 1:30 pm at the American legion Post at 525 East Broad Street. We hope to see you there! |
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| VVA # 278's LAST MEETINGS |
| At our March meeting we approved a $250 donation to the Order of the Silver Rose and $250 to the Bowie County Special Olympics.
At our April meeting, we approved re-joining the National Vietnam War Musuem in Mineral Springs. |
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| 12th ANNUAL "VETERANS INFORMATION FAIR" |
| On Saturday, May 17, 2008 (Armed Forces Day) the Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc., Texarkana Area Chapter # 278 will host our 12th Annual "Veteran Information Fair." This year it will be held at the Southwest Center at 3222 West Seventh Street from 9:00 am until 1:30 pm.
We have invited 16 different agencies/individuals who have expertise in programs and problems that veterans and their families encounter in their search for the benefits and programs that are their for veterans and their families. These include: The local VA Outpatient Clinic; Overton Brooks VA Medical Center (Shreveport) Patient Advocate Rosemary Mason; Vet Center (Shreveport); Texas Veterans Land Board; Texas Veterans Commission; Texas WorkForce Commission; Social Security Administration; American Red Cross; AARP; Serenity Hospice; East Funeral Home; Alzheimer's Alliance; Barksdale Retiree Office; VVA Veterans Service Officer Larry Robinson; Agency on Aging (Ark-Tex Council of Governments), and possibly others. This service is free to veterans, military retirees, active, Reserve and National Guard personnel, and their familes. This is one-stop shopping for nearly all agencies that deal with veterans, military personnel and their families. We will also be conducting a voters registration drive (Arkansas & Texas) and will have some information for veterans from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma & Texas, along with information on Agent Orange, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, POW/MIAs, Vietnam Veterans of America, and Associates of the Vietnam Veterans of America, and 2008 Veterans VA Benefit booklets. REMEMBER: Saturday, May 17, 2008 at the Southwest Center at 3222 West Seventh Street from 9:00 am until 1:30 pm. If you are a veteran, military retiree, military (active-Reserve-National Guard), and/or family member of these, we suggest you come by. I can almost guarantee that you can learn something about benefits and programs - FREE! |
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| MEMORIAL DAY 2008 |
| Again there will be four local Memorial Day Services in Texarkana. The first will be held Sunday, May 25, 2008 at East Memorial Gardens on Hwy 67 East (Out past the airport). It will begin at 2:00 pm and is hosted by the Texarkana Area Veterans Council and East Memorial Gardens. The Council will be helping install the gravesite flags on Wednesday, May 21, tentatively, at a time to be announced later.
On Monday, May 26, 2008 the first service will begin at 11:00 am at the Miller County Courthouse, hosted by American Legion # 25-28. Immediately after this service, everyone will form up for the annual "Memorial Day Walk" to the Korea/Vietnam Memorial where the Vietnam Veterans of America, Texarkana Area Chapter # 278 will host the next service beginning at approximately 11:45 am. Then at 1:30 pm at Hillcrest Memorial Cemetary, Texarkana Funeral Home will host the last service for the day. This is where VVA # 278 member Jim Kanipe sets up his display of miltary firearms and equipment, a exhibit worth the trip. At 3:00 pm the National Moment of Remembrance will be observed. We ask everyone to take at least one minute to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice while in the U.S. military gaining and protecting those freedoms we enjoy, but many take for granted. Remember: FREEDOM IS NOT FREE!!! We urge everyone, especially members of VVA # 278 to attend as many of the services and observances as possible. If we as members of a veterans service organization cannot honor our fallen brothers and sisters, than how can we truly expect the general public to honor and remember them? LEST WE FORGET!! |
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| VVA #278 MEMBERSHIP |
| As of April 30, 2008 VVA # 278 has 139 members: 47 IND(annual or 3-yr), 61 LMT(Life Members paid), 2 IVI (Incarcerated), 10 ALP(Life Associates, paid) and 19 ASC(Associates, annual or 3-yr). Since our last newsletter we have two new members - Monty Latham and Jim Mason. We would like to welcome these members into the VVA # 278 family!
WELCOME ABOARD & WELCOME HOME!!
We ask all members of VVA to check their membership cards. Look at the expiration date. Keep your membership current. If you are a Life Member, make sure your card states that. If there is any problems let us know and with documentation we can take care of it. As of March 31, 2008 Vietnam Veterans of America has a total of 56,723 members. Region VII (AR, LA, OK, & TX) has 5,178 members. Texas has 2,944 VVA members, Arkansas has 340, Louisiana has 791 & Oklahoma has 1,103. Associates of the Vietnam Veterans of America has a total of 7,164 members and Region VII has 674 AVVA members. Texas has 306, Arkansas has 36, Louisiana has 116, and Oklahoma has 130. Join VVA & AVVA. |
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| VVA TEXAS STATE COUNCIL MEETING (TSC) |
| The June meeting will be held in Denton, hosted by VVA # 920. This will be the election of Texas State Council officers. And as I understand it we should have three new chapters to install. Welcome Aboard & Welcome Home to all these new VVA and AVVA members.
February 2009 TSC meeting to be held in Tyler, hosted by VVA # 932. |
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| VETERANS SERVICE OFFICER TRAINING |
| On Thursday, May 15 several members of VVA # 278 will be going to Shreveport to participate in a Veteran Service Officer training seminar put on by the DAV of Louisiana.This is just a start on getting some members of VVA # 278 trained to assist in getting the documents and information together in preparation of filing a VA claim.Somewhere down the line I would like to have a certified Veterans Service Officer in the chapter. |
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| VVA #278 WEBSITE |
| VVA # 278's website is up and running thanks to Stacey. If you haven't checked it out recently, you need to do it now at: www.vva278.org. Stacey has added photos, info on POW/MIAs. Agent Orange, PTSD, etc., etc.. We also put our newsletter in it.There are some very good links to hook up to and more to be added. Remember, that this is a living website, it will be added to and changed from time to time, so keep check on it. And if you have any ideas let us know. |
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| PRISONERS OF WAR/MISSING IN ACTION - POW/MIA |
| As of April 30, 2008 there are still 1761 Americans unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. Captain Barclay B. Young, USAF, and Staff Sergent James K. Caniford, USAF, both listed as MIA in Laos on March 29, 1972 have been accounted for. Their remains were recovered November 21, 2006 and recently identified. We hope this brings the family and friends some closure. Of the 1761 still unaccounted for: 561 Army, 372 Navy, 579 Air Force, 215 Marines, and 34 civilians. Of this 1761, 20 are from Arkansas, 24 are from Louisiana, 36 are from Oklahoma and 114 are from Texas.Of these 1761, 1353 are missing in Vietnam (North-481, South-872), 344 are missing in Laos, 55 are missing in Cambodia and 7 are missing in the territorial waters of China. This brings the total of those returned and identified since the end of the war in 1975 to 822. Sadly this does not include any live returnees.
There are three Americans unaccounted from the ongoing war in Iraq, Matt Maupin's remains were recently identified by DNA. There is one American unaccounted from the 1st Iraqi war - Desert Storm. There are 120 Americans unaccounted for from the Cold War. There are over 8100 Americans unaccounted for from the Korean War, over 78,000 Americans unaccounted for from World War II and 3349 Americans unaccounted for from World War I. |
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| 21st ANNUAL POW/MIA VIGIL/15TH ANNUAL "RIDE TO REMEMBER" |
| Plans are being made for VVA # 278's 21st annual POW/MIA Vigil and our 15th annual "Ride to Remember."
This Vigil will be held Friday & Saturday, August 29 & 30 (Labor Day weekend) at the Korea/Vietnam Memorial at Seventh Street and State Line Avenue. As of this time we will spend 1801 minutes (20 hours & one minute) in this vigil. That's one minute for each of the 1761 from Vietnam, 36 minutes for the 36 names engraved on this memorial who are still unaccounted for from the Korean War, and one minute for each American unaccounted for from Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom (4). LEST WE FORGET |
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| TEXARKANA AREA VETERANS COUNCIL |
| The next meetings of the Texarkana Area Veterans Council (TAVC) will be June 5, July 3 and August 7. These will all be the first Thursday of each month, at 6:00 pm at the American Legion Post at 525 East Broad Street.
On March 29 the TAVC held a fundraiser fish fry. It was a success thanks to many people. I deposited $1877 from the fish fry and at most we will owe $590 of that for supplies. I would like to thank the many people who made this a success - 1st the VFW Post # 4562 for volunteering to let us have it in their Post, and to all of their members and auxially who worked so hard preparing and cooking and everything else; 2nd, to all members of the other TAVC member organizations who helped with this, they done great; 3rd, to all the donors who donated and/or made us a deal on the fish and trimmings and door prizes; and last but not least, all of those who came out in the rainy weather to eat the fish. THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!! Remember, funds raised go to the purchase of a new DAV van to transport veterans to the Shreveport VA Medical Center and to the local VA Clinic. We are starting a Corporate sponsorship program. More details as they are worked out. |
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| LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION |
| There are several bills before Congress that would effect veterans. In our opinion these listed below are some of the more important ones. We also list our local Senators and Representatives for this area, plus some others for Texas and Arkansas. We ask you to contact these elected officials and urge them to support the various bills. Remember a bill beginning with "H.R." is a billl in the House of Representatives and a bill beginning wit "S" is a bill before the Senate. So contact the appropiate official.
*H.R 2514 - "Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act" To provide for an assured adequate level of funding for Veterans Health Care through the VA. Last action - referred to subcommittee on health - May 27, 2007. 127 sponsors. *S.2639 - "Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care" Submitted February, 2008. 4 sponsors. *H.R. 463 - "Honor Our Commitment to Veterans Act" To amend title 38, United States Code to terminate the administrative freeze on the enrollment into the health care system of the Departm,ent of Veterans Affairs, of veterans in the lowest priority category for enrollment (referred to as "Priority 8"). No action since April 26, 2007. 54 sponsors. *S. 1147 - "Honor our Committment to Veterans Act" Same as above H.R. 463.No action since April 26, 2007, referred to Veterans Affairs committee. 4 sponsors. *H. Resolution 111 - "Establishing a Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs" To establish a Select Committee on POW/MIA affairs in the House of Representatives. No action since January 30, 2007, referred to Rules Committee. 267 sponsors. |
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| CALENDAR OF EVENTS
May 15: Peace Officers Memorial Day May 17: VVA # 278's 12th "Veterans Information Fair" 9:00 am til 1:30 pm May 18: Vietnam Veterans of America # 278 meeting-1:30 pm May 25: Memorial Day Service (TAVC), East Memorial Gardens-2:00 pm May 26: Memorial Day Service, Miller County Courthouse-11:00 am May 26: Memorial Day Service (VVA # 278) Korea/Vietnam Memorial-11:45 am June 5: Texarkana Area Veterans Council meeting-6:00 pm June 5, 7 & 8: Vietnam Veterans of America, Texas State Council meeting, Denton June 15: Vietnam Veterans of America # 278 meeting-1:30 pm July 3: Texarkana Area Veterans Council meeting-6:00 pm July 4: Independence Day, America's Birthday!! July 20: Vietnam Veterans of America # 278 meeting-1:30 pm |
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