Happy Birthday U.S. Marine Corps!

Happy Birthday U.S. Marine Corps

College Teams to Honor Vets With Camo Gear

Maryland and South Carolina will wear uniforms with camouflage designs during their games Nov. 14 to honor military veterans and promote the Wounded Warrior Project.Complete story

New foster program offers care for ailing veterans in Colorado

By Michael Booth | The Denver Post

When Steve Jackson speaks, the journey from one end of his sentence to the other can take a few minutes Complete story

PELOSI: Buy a $15,000 Policy or Go to Jail

Failure to Comply with Democrats’ Mandate Can Lead to 5 Years in Jail Complete story

President Obama Launches Major Veterans Employment Initiative

President Obama Launches Major Veterans Employment Initiative.

Initiative Would Transform Federal Government into Model of Veterans Employment Complete story

Woodcarvers give veterans support through Eagle Cane Project

11/2/2009 - BOLLING AIR FORCE BASE, D.C. (AFNS) -- How does a block of wood become a physical and psychological support system for a wounded veteran? With the woodworkers who volunteer their time and talents to carve out a customized piece for the ones who deserve it most. Complete story

Military Kids Can Gain Free Money for College

I owe my college degree to the military.

I had more than 100 credits under my belt when I dropped out of college in my junior year. I was in love, got married and started working full-time. I attempted to take a class here and there, but it was a struggle with bills to pay and a house to run.Complete story

TRICARE Extends OTC Medication Project

FALLS CHURCH, Va. - TRICARE's over-the-counter medication demonstration project has been extended by one year. The program allows TRICARE beneficiaries to substitute over-the-counter (OTC) versions of certain prescription drugs.Complete story

Veterans Day Message from Senator Herb Kohl

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson observed the first Armistice Day, which would later become Veterans’ Day, by reflecting “with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory.” Ninety years later, Americans everywhere continue to honor the service and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans on November 11, the anniversary of the end of World War I.

One tradition I have been proud to participate in is the Honor Flight program. Honor Flight brings World War II veterans to Washington free of charge to visit their war memorial for the first time. Last year, this program helped over 11,000 veterans visit the memorial that was constructed in their honor. I have been proud to personally support this effort, and honored to meet Wisconsin veterans during their visit to the World War II memorial. To learn more about Honor Flight, please visit their website at: Link

While meeting Wisconsin veterans on an Honor Flight, I was deeply troubled to meet a man who had not received the awards he deserved because his service records were destroyed in a fire. He was wounded at the battle of Zigzag Pass in the Philippines, but the Army rejected his two previous Purple Heart applications because of the missing records. After working with the Army, enough information was found in reconstructed records to allow me to present the veteran with his long overdue medals, including the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, on September 11, 2009.

Preserving the memories of the men and women who defended our country is more important than ever. In 2000, Congress created the Veterans History Project to collect interviews with veterans, as well as wartime letters and photographs. The Library of Congress saves these valuable memories for future generations, and Americans everywhere can submit material to the collection and join this effort.

To participate in the Veterans History Project, I encourage you to visit their website at Link. Visitors can search the project’s collection and read about the experiences of our country in wartime. You can also download a field kit to submit your own interviews or materials to the collection.

Veterans Day gives us an opportunity to honor those who defended our freedom – but we must also remember the tragedy of war. Armistice Day became Veterans Day in 1954, after World War II and the Korean War ended the hope that World War I would be the “war to end all wars.” President Eisenhower’s proclamation called on Americans to “solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly…and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.”

Military to Open Virtual High School

Defense Department schools, in particular, have made an effort to stay at the forefront of the technology movement. They've offered distance learning to their students for years and now are putting the finishing touches on a new virtual high school. Complete story

Shinseki Announces Veterans' Stories Posted on VA's Web Page

Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will join with the Library of Congress to host a "Veterans History Countdown" on the VA Web site - VA Web Site - featuring the oral histories of Veterans from every state and U.S. territory. Complete story

WDVA Primary Mortgage Loan Funds Depletion

More information

China to Militarize Space 'for Peace'

China will develop an air force with integrated capabilities for both offensive and defensive operations in space as well as in air, the commander of China's air force says.Complete story

Retiree Cola Buried In Oil; Widows' SBP Win Upheld

It was higher oil prices last year that led to the largest annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to federal entitlements since 1982. Good thing, too. Complete story

VA Seeks Temporary Contractor to Help Process Education Claims

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued a solicitation for temporary contractor support to assist in processing the increased volume of education claims received since implementing the new Post-9/11 GI Bill.Complete story

Residency Benefits Extended to Military Spouses

WASHINGTON - Congress on Monday sent President Barack Obama a bill that allows military spouses to claim residency in the same state as their wives or husbands. Under current law, servicemembers can choose to keep their original residency as they relocate.Complete story

DWD Assistance for Dislocated Workers

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development has an internet tool for Wisconsin workers who are facing the difficult challenges of finding new/additional employment, learning new skills for currently available opportunities, locating financial assistance, or learning to cope emotionally with job-loss. This web site provides vital and useful information on programs to help workers and employers when staff reductions, business closings and mass layoffs occur. Assistance is available to all unemployed workers and additional help may be available to "dislocated workers." You may be a "dislocated worker" if you have been laid off, received a notice of termination or layoff, or were self-employed and are now unemployed due to economic conditions or natural disaster. To find this website, go to: Link

Veterans Affairs Secretary Unveils Plan to End Veterans' Homelessness

Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki on Tuesday unveiled a plan to end veterans' homelessness in five years, saying that without action the improvements of recent years could be lost because of the bad economy.Complete story

Lost U.S. Savings Bonds Search Utility

The federal government is facing a lawsuit over billions in unclaimed bonds that date back to the patriotic fundraising efforts of World War II, leading to a showdown between states who say they should be given the money and a Treasury Department that claims ownership. World War II sparked an unprecedented bond buying campaign, spurred on by one of the largest advertising campaigns ever seen...a drive wrapped in dutiful pleas from celebrities, politicians and cartoon characters alike………….

Conmplete story

NDAA 2010 Update

On 28 OCT the President signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which authorizes $550.2 billion for FY 2010 Department of Defense programs, and $130 billion to support overseas military operations. Some highlights include:

The complete Conference Report of what Congress passed and signed into law can be found at Link

TRICARE Announces H1N1 Immunization Policy

Immunizations against the H1N1 virus will soon be available, and people are eager to take precautions. Tricare Prime, Standard and Extra beneficiaries can get their shots from network and non-network providers without paying a deductible or making a co-payment. Complete story

Widows Win SBP Lawsuit

On October 22, the Defense Department announced it will not appeal the August 2009 ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals in the case of three widows who sued the government to keep both their VA survivor benefits and their military Survivor Benefit Plan annuities. At issue is a 2004 law that restored DIC payments to veterans' surviving spouses who remarry after their 57th birthday. Before the law change, survivors lost DIC upon remarriage at any age. Complete story can be found here.

A day in History!

When Camping, Make Sure to Hide Your Food and Your Nuclear Weapons

On October 25, 1962, again during the Cuban Missile Crisis, a security guard at an air base in Duluth, Minnesota, saw a shadowy figure scaling one of the fences enclosing the base. He shot at the intruder and activated an intruder alarm, automatically setting off intruder alarms at neighboring bases.

However, at the Volk Field air base in Wisconsin, the Klaxon loudspeaker had been wired incorrectly, and instead sounded an alarm ordering F-106A interceptors armed with nuclear missiles to take off. The pilots assumed that a full-scale nuclear conflict with the Soviet Union had begun, and the planes were about to take off when a car from the air traffic control tower raced down the tarmac and signaled the planes to stop. The intruder in Duluth had finally been identified: it was a bear.

Marquette County CVSO Monthly Newsletter - November 2009

November Newsletter

Local Nephew to Help Honor World War I Pilot

Ted Hine will be 83 years old this week, but he still remembers as clearly as if it were yesterday his Uncle Virgil Hine landing at Hatbox Field with his Army Air Corps squadron in the early 1930s. Complete story

Has a VA Doctor in Tampa Found a Cure for Cancer?

TAMPA, FL -- Doctor David Vesely makes rounds at Tampa's VA hospital, checking up on a diabetes patient who uses an insulin pump to survive. Afterwards, hidden away in lab 229 in the research center of the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, the endocrinologist works on a project he hopes will change modern medicine. Link Here:

Demand up for free Thanksgiving meal in Marquette County

The Care & Share Food Bank in Montello has seen more than a 80 percent increase in need over this time last year throughout Marquette County. Complete story

Face of Defense: Wounded Warrior Continues to Lead

The noncommissioned officer corps often is considered the backbone of the Army, but defining what it means to be a part of that brotherhood is not as easy as it sounds. Complete story

Red Cross to Distribute Holiday Cards

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2009 - The American Red Cross again will sponsor a national "Holiday Mail for Heroes" campaign to receive and distribute holiday cards to servicemembers, veterans and their families in the United States and abroad.

The card campaign includes those working and receiving care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.

A special P.O. Box address will be published the first week of November online at Link

. In the meantime, people shouldn't send cards to Walter Reed unless they are addressed to a specific wounded warrior.

Due to security restrictions, Walter Reed cannot accept generic mail addressed to "A Recovering Soldier" or "Any Soldier." In past years, hundreds of cards were returned to senders because of generic addresses, many sent in response to misleading e-mails.

The American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes Inc. will partner for the third year to provide screening of all mail sent to the special P.O. Box address. Cards postmarked no later than Dec. 7 will reach servicemembers recovering at Walter Reed.

Veterans' Education Benefits in Jeopardy

Sept. 11, 2001, changed our country forever and what followed changed the face of the American veteran. Like those who fought before them, veterans of the war in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom are returning home with unique challenges and needs. Complete story

HHS Chief Actuary on ObamaCare: Total Health Care Spending Will Go Up, Not Down

Richard Foster, Chief Actuary for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, released this week to several Congressional offices a financial analysis of HR 3200, the House version of ObamaCare. He reached some inconvenient conclusions for President Obama and Congressional Leadership: Link

Obama Signs Veterans Spending Bill

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama on Thursday signed into law a measure designed to keep funding for veterans' medical care steady amid future budget negotiations. Complete AP Story

Senators seek review of military's personality-disorder discharges

In the Senate, Barack Obama fought for better mental-health care for troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Now that he's president, some of his former colleagues want him to pick up the gauntlet once more and make sure troops are getting the benefits they deserve. Complete story

VA Staffs Office for Survivors of Veterans

To strengthen the VA's programs for survivors of the nation's veterans and servicemembers, VA officials have staffed an office to serve as their advocate, with a charter that includes creating or modifying programs, benefits and services. The office serves as the primary adviser to the secretary on all issues affecting the survivors and dependents of deceased veterans and servicemembers. It will monitor VA's delivery of benefits to survivors, make appropriate referrals to VA offices for survivors seeking benefits, and explore innovative ways of reaching survivors who are not receiving the VA benefits for which they are eligible. For more information, go to: Link

Retroactive Stop-Loss Payments Application Process Update

All military service members who spent extra time on active duty because of stop loss since September 2001 will be eligible by for $500-per-month cash payouts that could begin arriving later this year, an Army compensation official said. Complete story

Secretary Announces Expansion of Veterans Appeals Board

Four New Judges Will Speed Veterans' Appeals

WASHINGTON - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the addition of four new Veterans Law Judges to the Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA), which will enable the board to increase the number of cases being decided. Complete story

Vietnam Veteran National Study

Complete report

Vietnam Veterans Receive Presidential Unit Citation for Heroism

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Nearly 40 years after members of a U.S. cavalry unit put their lives in peril to save 100 fellow soldiers trapped under blistering enemy fire in Vietnam, they received the Presidential Unit Citation on Tuesday Complete story

Holiday Mailing Deadlines for Overseas Military

The Christmas holiday mailing deadlines are now available on the Military Postal Service Agency website at Link. Express Mail Military Service is available to selected military post offices. Check with your local post office to determine if this service is available to your APO/FPO address. PAL is a service that provides air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis. SAM parcels are paid at parcel post postage rate with maximum weight and size limits of 15 pounds and 60 inches in length and girth combined. For more information, contact your local post office.

George Washington's Farewell Address

Farewell Speech

Come Welcome Our WWII Veterans Home!

On Tuesday, October 27th , at approximately 9:45 p.m. (21:45 hrs.) a charter flight with 100 World War II veterans from Northeastern Wisconsin will be arriving at Appleton airport.

Please join us for a patriotic homecoming at the Appleton airport (Outagamie County Regional Airport).

Please be in the airport terminal by 9:30 p.m. (21:30 hours), Tuesday October 27th to welcome these heroes home! It is an event you won't soon forget.

Old Glory Honor Flight. Org

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Kenneth Fisher reached out to veteran organizations and community members in a call to action Wednesday, asking them to do more than just thank wounded warriors. Complete story

VA to extend benefits to Veterans affected by Agent Orange

More information

Face of Defense: Teen Finds Focus in Military

In a world full of choices, Army Spc. Timothy Markle, with the 628th Aviation Support Battalion, 28th Combat Aviation Brigade, took a few wrong turns before finding his focus, first in football, then in the military. Complete story

Muppets Help Military Kids Cope With Grief

As filming for Sesame Workshop's latest "Talk, Listen, Connect," video got under way here yesterday, it became clear that while it's not always sunny on Sesame Street, ultimately the clouds can be swept away. Complete story

Soldiers Help Afghan Children, One Backpack at a Time

In a country where fewer than 30 percent of people are considered literate, U.S. forces are working to help in rebuilding Afghanistan's education system, which has been devastated from 30 years of war, anti-education politics and an unstable government. Complete story

Treatment Eases Tormenting Ringing in the Ears

Barbara Cooke says the phantom noise she hears is "like when you put a conch shell to your ear." Complete story

USFSPA & Divorce Update

Complete story

VA Extends "Agent Orange" Benefits to More Veterans

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. The illnesses affected by the recent decision are: Complete story

Wife's Cancer Spurs Watertown Man to Join Army

56 days . . . 55 days . . . 54 days . . .

Chelsea Caudle began signing her text messages this summer with a countdown. At 14 years old, she knew no better way to express what was coming. Day Zero was to be Oct. 7, the day Dad left for Army basic training in Fort Jackson, S.C. He was moving 950 miles from their home in Watertown, Wisc., 950 miles from Mom. Complete story