Ohio VA Clinic Swaps Bible for 'Prop'

This is from Navy Life on what the Bible on the POW MIA Table means.

"The tradition of setting a separate table in honor of our prisoners of war and missing comrades has been in place since the end of the Vietnam War. The manner in which this table is decorated is full of special symbols to help us remember our brothers and sisters in arms."

"The Bible represents faith in a higher power and the pledge to our country, founded as one nation under God." Yet somehow over the years some folks seemed to manage pretty well putting their lives on the line for others they served with but cannot manage to put up with seeing something like this on a table.  Pretty astonishing when you think about it. 

Ohio VA Clinic Swaps Bible for 'Prop' Book After
Complaint
Military.com
by Bryant Jordan
Apr 06, 2016

A Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Youngstown, Ohio, substituted a "prop" book for a Bible after a civil rights organization accused the facility of endorsing a particular faith by having only the Christian holy book displayed at a table set up to honor American prisoners of war and missing in action.

In a note to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation on Monday, Kristen Parker, chief of external affairs for Cleveland VA Medical Center -- which handles media for the Youngstown clinic -- said the Bible was "replaced with a generic book, one whose symbolism can be individualized by each of our veterans as they pay their respects" to POWs and MIAs.

Parker told Military.com on Tuesday that because the VA cannot endorse, favor or inhibit any specific religion, "we are supporting our local veteran organizations with their decision to use a prop-book on the POW/MIA Table at our Youngstown [clinic]."

Parker previously said the clinic would support the Disabled American Veterans -- the group that set up the table -- in its decision to display the Bible on the missing man table.

The switch was made after the veteran who initiated the complaint, working with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, responded to the clinic's initial refusal to pull the Bible by demanding a separate table be set up with the Jewish Torah and a copy of "The God Delusion," a popular book on atheism. "If in the future I decide to add the Quran, or Mormon book of Latter Day Saints, that is my implied right," retired Army Capt. Jordan Ray wrote.
read more here

DAV Volunteer Dedicated to Serving Others After Surviving Cancer

Vietnam veteran beats cancer, dedicates life to service 
DAV.org
BY BRYAN G. LETT
JANUARY 12, 2016

Vietnam veteran John Dillahunt used DAV’s Transportation Network to help him beat cancer. For nearly a decade, he’s been connecting his fellow veterans with transportation through the program.

John Dillahunt’s life changed the moment he was diagnosed with cancer. Although he had no idea what his next steps would be, he knew he would have to find a way to manage the 285-mile round trip to the nearest Veterans Affairs medical center in Durham, N.C. for treatment.

Dillahunt would be forced to undergo a surgery, hormone therapy and 32 radiation treatments. This in itself is no small task, but is considerably more taxing when considering those radiation treatments would require Dillahunt to travel four hours to and from the VA hospital every day for nearly six weeks.

Dillahunt served in the Army from 1967 to 1972 and served two combat tours in Vietnam. At the time of his diagnosis, he was not familiar with DAV and the services available to him.

“I was in Bridgeton [N.C.] one day when I happened to walk outside and see a DAV van,” said Dillahunt. “I never really thought about what they did but I decided to contact them and see if they could help me.”

Dillahunt said the decision to call DAV not only changed his life, but also put him on a path to positively impact the lives of other veterans for years to come.

“They took care of me – 32 times, five days a week,” said Dillahunt. “I wanted to give something back to those who gave to me. Helping the guys and gals that fought for this country – there’s nothing better than that.”
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Homeless Veteran "Riddled with Gunshot Wounds"

Police: Investigation into homeless vet's death continuing
Houma Today
By Maki Somosot Staff Writer
November 30, 2015

“He was truly a kind soul. It’s hard to read the path his life had taken him.” James Inman

Police are continuing to make headway in their investigation of the Nov. 13 shooting that killed a homeless veteran, Houma Police Chief Dana Coleman said.

The body of Edward Crowley, of Kirkglen Loop, was found riddled with gunshot wounds in a field near the 2600 block of Truman Street.

“We’re making progress, interviewing witnesses and analyzing our evidence, but we haven’t identified a suspect yet,” Coleman said.

Crowley's death marks the fourth shooting death in Terrebonne Parish over the past two months, preceded by Ernest Simms, 38, Corey Butler, 18, and Robert Swan, 24. Suspects have been arrested in connection with these three deaths.

Tri-Parish Veterans Shelter director and local Disabled Americans Veteran chapter president Roger Songe said that Crowley became homeless since filing for veterans benefits late last year. He did not notice any signs of drug or alcohol use on the Vietnam Era vet.
read more here

DAV Dedicated Van in Honor of Sgt. Joe Altmann

VA transportation van dedicated in honor of fallen soldier
WKOW ABC 27 News
By Jennifer Kliese
Oct 17, 2015

MARSHFIELD (WKOW) -- A Wisconsin soldier's sacrifice will be remembered as a sign of hope for veterans in the northern part of the state.

The Disabled American Veterans organization dedicated a van in honor of Sgt. Joe Altmann on Saturday in Marshfield. He was killed in Afghanistan in 2011. Thousands of veterans in northern Wisconsin will now have help getting to VA facilities throughout the state now, in his name.
read more here

Gary Sinise to Receive West Point Thayer Award for Work with DAV

West Point to Give Award to Actor Gary Sinise
Associated Press
Oct 12, 2015

WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — The U.S. Military Academy will honor the man who portrayed Lt. Dan in "Forrest Gump" when it gives actor Gary Sinise its annual Thayer Award.

Sinise, also known for his role in the TV show "CSI: New York," will receive the award at West Point on Oct. 22.

The award is named for a former West Point superintendent and is given to citizens who serve the national interest.

West Point cited Sinise's decades of advocacy for service members, including his work for the Disabled American Veterans organization. Sinise also performs for troops as part of the Lt. Dan Band, named for the hard-nosed officer who befriends Forrest Gump.
read more here

Congress Underfund the VA By Nearly $1 billion, Again

Look up how many times this has happened in the past.

"If they can afford to pay for wars, they can afford to pay for the treatment after the wars," says Garry Augustine, with Disabled American Veterans. DAV and other private veterans' organizations draw up their own "independent budget" for the Department of Veterans Affairs every year. "We've been saying it every year for the last 10 years in our independent budget, that the funding is not sufficient to sustain the demand," Augustine says.

Tester, Daines disagree on Veterans Affairs funding bill
Independent Record
MARTIN KIDSTON
October 02, 2015

MISSOULA -- Montana’s two U.S. senators criticized a proposed Veterans Affairs funding bill this week, with Republican Steve Daines accusing Democrats of blocking the bill, while Democrat Jon Tester said the measure would underfund the VA by nearly $1 billion.

While both senators have worked to improve VA care for Montana veterans and have introduced needed reforms to the system, they have differing views on funding the agency -- a debate that's tied in part to budget caps proposed by the GOP leadership.

Daines said the latest legislation includes a record $163.8 billion in funding for the VA. He said the figure marks an increase of $4.6 billion.

“This legislation contains numerous important provisions to address Montana veterans’ long-standing concerns and it would be shameful to see these much-needed reforms fall victim to Democrats’ obstructionism,” Daines said.

Tester, however, has urged his colleagues to oppose the VA funding bill, saying it underfunds veteran care by nearly $1 billion and would undermine VA reforms passed by Congress a year ago.

Earlier this year, Tester offered an amendment to increase funding for the VA to a level that better reflected what department officials said was needed to carry out veteran care.

His amendment failed on a 16-14 party-line vote, with all 16 Republicans voting against it.
read more here

Brevard Veterans Memorial Center Expanding

Veterans Center finally expanding 
FLORIDA TODAY
R. Norman Moody
September 30, 2015

"It's really nice to see this happening," said Bill Vagianos, president of the Brevard Veterans Memorial Center. "My heart is with the center and always will be. The building will be doubled in size. It's going to be a two-story building. We'll move our offices and storage above."

Brevard Parks and Recreation director Jack Masson addresses the audience, among them from left Bill Vagianos, former county commissioner Chuck Nelson, County Commissioner Jim Barfield, State Sen. Thad Altman, State Rep. Steve Crisafulli (Photo: R. Norman Moody / FLORIDA TODAY)

MERRITT ISLAND — As veterans marked the start of expansion of the Brevard Veterans Memorial Center, the rumble and beep of heavy equipment could be heard across a thicket of brush and trees where construction is ongoing at Veterans Memorial Park.

The project is part of the 80-acre complex along Sykes Creek just south of Merritt Square Mall.

The 4,000-square-foot expansion of the center's building comes thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The project will feature the addition of a two-story military museum, an improved military library, enhanced facilities for the Disabled American Veteran support program and an upgraded and expanded Memorial Plaza.
read more here

Wasting Time and Lives on Un-Awareness

Wasting Time and Lives on Un-Awareness
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
September 15, 2015

Everyday my email box is full of news reports from across the country along with pleas from folks "trying to raise awareness" and that, that is the most depressing thing of all. What has all this "awareness" raising crap gotten any of us? Reporters are still unaware of what the real numbers are. They are still unaware of what the demographics are. In other words, are most people. Few seem to know how many years this has all been going on as well as how many veterans are still suffering.

If you hear one of these folks say they want to raise awareness, ask them what they mean by that. Exactly what are they trying to share? If they say they want to share what the problem is, tell them they are way too late. Veterans have known for generations. If they say it is to let people know how many are committing suicide, again, veterans know way better than they do especially if they are still using the fictional 22 a day ever the VA put a disclaimer on. If they say they want the general public to know, hate to say this but if they don't already know, then they don't give a crap and nothing will wake them up.

So what is this all really about?

Is it about 15 minutes of fame? Getting money? Or actually doing something meaningful for veterans? So far, haven't seen much meaningful coming out of any of this and neither have the veterans.

All this awareness raising has been around for about a decade and the numbers have gotten worse. Here are some things we should be talking about honestly if we really intend to save lives and spare veterans more years of needless suffering in this awareness propaganda campaign.

Family members after suicide need to stop doing what they don't know and start doing what they need to be doing. Too many families are experiencing the same anguish and they need support from others with the same experience. No amount of training on the trauma/recovery end can compare to what living after suicide does.

I was an expert when it happened in my family. My husband's nephew, also a Vietnam veteran, committed suicide instead of listening to what I was trying to explain to him. That is a burden that will never end for me. Every time I read about or talk to a family member, it all comes back. All the questions about what I could have said differently, what I could have done, along with every should have, could have would have in the book. Nothing will ever change the fact I just couldn't get him to listen. Even after all these years and veterans healing, nothing takes that pain away.

If you are a family member, start a support group because families like yours are always left out. All of you need support but so far, few know where to find it or how to find each other. Use your Facebook skills and put them where it will do the most good. Your experience with loss may save the life of a family member because that does in fact happen.

Joshua Omvig's parents talked about their son, and one of the first bills addressing military suicide has his name on it, just as it has since it was passed in 2007.

Rep. Jeff Miller Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity first to thank the chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, Mr. Michaud; as well as the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Filner; and Ranking Member Mr. Buyer for their leadership in bringing this legislation timely to the floor.The heavy burden of some of our servicemembers that they bear in coping with the aftermath of combat is tragically evident in the death of Army Specialist Joshua Lee Omvig.

Specialist Omvig was a member of the U.S. Army Reserve 339th Military Police Company from Davenport, Iowa. He took his life in 2005 after returning from a deployment to Iraq. H.R. 327 is aptly named to remember this brave young man.VA must be vigilant with a proactive mental health strategy to help our veterans and returning servicemembers readjust to stateside duty after their exposure to combat. H.R. 327 would require VA to implement a comprehensive program to reduce the incidence of suicide among our veterans.

Specific steps included in this bill are: a campaign to reduce stigma surrounding seeking help or training for VA staff in suicide prevention and education; the creation of peer counselors to understand risk factors and to assist families during the readjustment process; and a 24-hour counseling line so that veterans, especially those in rural areas, could seek help whenever they need it.

VA is already fulfilling many of the requirements of H.R. 327.

The Secretary of VA developed and has started to implement a similar suicide prevention strategy that is based on public health and clinical models with activities both in VA facilities and within local communities. For example, VA is fulfilling requirements of H.R. 327 by providing training for both clinical and nonclinical staff on how to assess and respond to patients that they may come in contact with that are at risk for suicide. And by April 1, the Department plans to have in place a Suicide Prevention Coordinator within each VA medical center.

The VA's Serious Mental Illness Treatment Research and Evaluation Center will be designated to guide prevention strategies and maintain data on suicide rates and risk factors. VA is also currently working to create a suicide prevention hotline by the end of this calendar year.I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 327. This legislation does put the full force of legal authority behind a comprehensive program to ensure that VA is taking all appropriate measures to prevent suicide among our Nation's veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

What PTSD warriors are up against at home has remained the same but there are still crappy attitudes out there and that won't change as long as people just keep talking about the problem but not doing much to change the outcome. A year later more families talked. Lana Waldorf talked about her husband.

Lance Waldorf, a 40-year-old major in the U.S. Army Reserve and a resident of Bingham Farms, was found dead Monday afternoon of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly Township.

"The war had a great deal to do with this," said Lana Waldorf, about her husband's death.

Waldorf said her husband suffered from post-traumatic stress and increasing depression after returning home from serving as a civil affairs specialist in Afghanistan.

"He had nightmares," she said. "He didn't tell me the details. What husband wants to share the horrific ordeals of war with his wife?"

Lana Waldorf, 51, said she alerted authorities after finding a note from her husband. His body was found shortly afterward at the cemetery. He was wearing military fatigues; a handgun was found nearby.

Authorities also found a note, a will, a backpack and photographs of Waldorf with his wife as well as family and friends, said Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Gary Muir.

That was back in 2008.

This was followed by years and years of other families trying desperately to change what was happening.

Congress held more and more hearings on military suicides as well as veterans committing suicide. 2008 Chairman Accuses VA of Criminal Negligence

WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs' top mental health official said Tuesday he made a poor choice of words when he sent his colleagues an e-mail about suicide data that started out with "Shh!"

Dr. Ira Katz, the VA's mental health director, told the House Veterans Affairs Committee that the e-mail was in poor tone _ even though the body contained "appropriate, healthy dialogue" about the data.

"I deeply regret the subject line," Katz said. "It was an error and I apologize for that."

The e-mail claims 12,000 veterans a year attempt suicide while under department treatment. "Is this something we should (carefully) address ourselves in some sort of release before someone stumbles on it?" the e-mail asks.

The e-mail was among those recently disclosed during a trial in San Francisco that suggested some at the VA might have been attempting to hide the number of attempted suicides by those under the agency's care. Its disclosure prompted two Democratic senators to call for his resignation.

Obama meets Chris Dana's family

Family of soldier who killed himself meets with Obama
By LAURA TODE Of The Gazette Staff

Montana National Guard Spec. Chris Dana will never know the impact his life and ultimately his death may someday have on the lives of veterans nationwide.

Dana took his life in March 2007, less than two years after returning from a tour in Iraq. His family believes he was a victim of post traumatic stress disorder, brought on by his combat experience.

Since Dana’s death, his stepbrother Matt Kuntz has campaigned for more awareness of the costs of untreated post traumatic stress syndrome in Iraq war veterans. Wednesday, he was invited to meet with Sen. Barack Obama to share the message he’s been spreading statewide for more than a year. At a quiet picnic table at Riverfront Park Obama sat across from Kuntz, his wife Sandy and their infant daughter Fiona.

Kuntz was heavy with emotion, but hopeful and eager to share Dana’s story, and tell the senator about his work to ensure other Montana veterans aren’t suffering from the same condition that made his step-brother take his life.

Yes, that was when then Senator Obama was on the Veterans Affairs Committee. Now you know why some folks need to just stop talking about the "problem" they know about when they don't seem to know much more than when began to notice?

The numbers are worse after all these years have been wasted because we're into research on all of this going back to the 70's.

FORGOTTEN WARRIOR PROJECT

In 1977, DAV was approached by Dr. John Wilson of Cleveland State University concerning a doctoral thesis he had titled “The Forgotten Warrior Project.” His thesis was to clarify and provide a diagnosis for what we now know as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Vietnam veterans. Dr. Wilson had previously approached all the major service organizations and they declined any assistance. However, DAV saw the value of this research and agreed to fund and publish the study.

The study resulted in the creation of the DAV Vietnam Veterans Outreach Program, which was implemented in six cities. Within six months, DAV witnessed the benefit of these counseling centers were having on Vietnam veterans—they now had a place to talk to others like themselves. DAV expanded the program to 63 cities, one of which was Boston.

Through the cooperative support of DAV and Dr. James Goodwin, a combat Vietnam veteran and psychologist from Denver, we finally opened the door for PTSD to be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM III). Senator Alan Cranston of California, a ranking member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, introduced legislation to include PTSD as a disability in the 38 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) which provides the law governing the VA.

Female Veterans Doesn't Have Proper Leg to Stand On

One female veteran’s epic quest for a ‘foot that fits’ 
The Washington Post
By Emily Wax-Thibodeaux
September 5, 2015

“The problem is we are coming home to a society and, unfortunately, a VA that still defines veterans as male — that’s what Americans picture when they think ‘veteran,’ ” said former Army medic Joy Ilem, who focuses on VA’s women’s health-care policy for the advocacy group Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Every morning for more than two years, retired Army Sgt. Brenda Reed had the infuriating chore of screwing on what she calls her “man foot.”

The prosthesis was given to her by the Department of Veterans Affairs after her left leg was amputated in 2013, but the replacement was so bulky and ill-fitting that it kept falling off in public. She pleaded with VA officials for “a foot that fits, a female foot,” only to be told repeatedly that the agency doesn’t carry that kind of customized prosthesis, which is available on the private market.

Reed tried to have a sense of humor about it. So she put bright red press-on nails on the wide “man” toes.

“I just wanted to get this man’s foot off of me,” she said.“Does it really have to be this hard for female veterans to get the right kind of care?”

VA hospitals and clinics don’t offer prenatal care; instead they outsource it. And they don’t deliver babies. Dozens of VA facilities don’t have full-time gynecologists, and some don’t have any gynecological staff. Even for basic female wellness services, such as mammograms, some facilities have to refer women elsewhere.
read more here

Tiff Over Trift or Thrift in DAV Story of Store

Stories conflict on origin of DAV's 'Trift' store
The Daily Courier
Nanci Hutson
August 29, 2015

The DAV today proclaims itself as the owner of the only "Trift" store in the nation, one hailed for its role in providing housing for homeless veterans and their families as well other services and programs intended to benefit community veterans. The store has been honored as one of the best thrift stores in the state.

The Daily Courier, file photo

The Disabled American Veterans TRIFT STORE truck is not a misspelling – at least not anymore.

PRESCOTT VALLEY - Three daughters of a long-deceased World War II Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient known for his mispronunciations have stepped forward to clarify the origins of a misspelled word now synonymous with a local veteran charity.

For at least two decades, the Disabled American Veteran Chapter 16 in Prescott has attributed the unusual spelling of their second-hand store, the "Trift" store, to veteran and professional sign painter Harold Seidel. Seidel donated his services to paint a new sign for the store's new quarters located at 730 N. Fifth St.
read more here

Women Veterans Long Journey Home and Long Lines For Care

The VA woman problem
New York Times
Helen Thorpe
August 15, 2015

The 94th Annual Veterans Day Parade in New York City, 2013.

Credit Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times

On Sept. 11, 2001, Desma Brooks was a single mother of three in her mid-20s who served part-time in the Indiana Army National Guard. Watching the attack, she wondered if she might be assigned to a support role on the home front. Instead, she served two yearlong deployments – one in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. During the second, while driving a military vehicle, she hit a roadside bomb. Brooks returned home with a mild case of traumatic brain injury and a serious case of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Of the almost 22 million veterans in the United States today, more than 2 million are women, and of those, more than 635,000 are enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs system – double the number before 9/11.

Women are the fastest growing group of veterans treated by the VA, and projections show that women will make up more than 16 percent of the country’s veterans by midcentury.

Like Brooks, many female veterans are returning home with PTSD – the No. 1 complaint among women at VA health facilities. Hypertension and depression are the next largest diagnostic categories. And 1 in 5 female veterans treated reported experiencing military sexual trauma.

Disabled American Veterans, an advocacy and assistance group, recently issued a report called “Women Veterans: The Long Journey Home,” which includes a list of recommended changes. Among them are establishing a culture of respect for women, providing access to peer support networks, requiring every Veterans Affairs clinic to have a gynecologist on staff, removing barriers to mental health services, and adding gender-sensitive mental health programs aimed at women. “One of the most perplexing problems is a culture in V.A. that is not perceived by women as welcoming, and does not afford them or their needs equal consideration,” said Joy J. Ilem, the group’s deputy national legislative director, at this year’s Senate hearing. read more here

Camp Lejeune Marines to Get Presumptive Status

New disability guidelines for Camp Lejeune Marines affected by toxic tap water
ABC 12 News
By Valentina Wilson
POSTED:Aug 04 2015

The Department of Veterans affairs will begin reviewing the disability status of Marines affected by toxic tap water at Camp Lejeune. Marines were exposed to tainted drinking water on base for more than 30 years -- from 1953 to 1987 -- and developed cancers and other conditions.

The VA already provides medical care for affected Marines with 15 different illnesses. Now the agency will establish presumptive status for veterans who lived on base during the time the water was contaminated. That means if veterans have a disease that falls under any of the approved categories, they'll get the benefit of the doubt instead of having to prove the water on base caused the problem.

The commander of the Disabled American Veterans chapter in Jacksonville, Jim Davis, said the bottom line is -- more veterans could qualify for benefits.

"What it will do is allow the veterans who were denied before -- due to it not being service connected or not enough proof -- to, if it falls under one of the presumptive diseases, they'll be allowed to apply and get approved for benefits," Davis said.
read more here

Beware:This Group Is Not The Disabled American Veterans

First, this is the Disabled American Veterans (DAV.org)

A Legacy of Service, Hope for the Future
DAV (Disabled American Veterans) is the most long-lasting veterans advocacy and assistance group in this country. We’ve watched this country change and grow, and we’ve grown along with it. However, DAV has never wavered in its core mission to fulfill our country’s promises to the men and women who served. We invite everyone, veterans and civilian, men and women, young and old, to join us as we stand up for those veterans who risked it all when they stood up for us, our country, and our ideals.

The hard facts of history brought about DAV’s creation. But compassion and service have been the tools that made our organization what it is today.

A great deal has changed since DAV was founded, but this much has remained the same: those who return from war must have men and women waiting for them at home who will stand with them as they work to take back their lives. Through DAV, veterans and civilians alike can fully express their appreciation and concern for those who have risked so much for our country.

The historical account of DAV in Wars and Scars on the pages that follow tells the story of that journey, from the days after World War I to the men and women of today returning from Iraq, Afghanistan and beyond. It tells the story of the veterans, families and civilians who made the commitment that none of America’s heroes should ever go it alone.

In one way (child of a Disabled veteran) or another (wife of a Disabled veteran) I have been involved with the DAV all my life.

Sure, the DAV does fundraisers but they don't dress up in costumes with buckets on the street. There is a group with a name similar to the DAV and they have confused even our own members. We'll be out at a location certain times of the year and one of our own members says they just donated on some street to a "guy in uniform" believing they were donating to the DAV. Needless to say they were not happy when they found out.

Right here and now I want to remind folks when it comes to Wounded Times, I speak only for myself and no one else. Understand that when I bluntly say, this stuff really ticks me off! I got it in my email as an alert from a member of the DAV. Too many folks get all confused and time to remind folks again that the following group has nothing to do with the DAV!

If you want to donate to them, be my guest but first know who you are giving your money to. This is from Charity Navigator

On June 30, 2014, the Chronicle of Philanthropy reported that "the New York attorney general’s office announced... that it had won a $25-million settlement in its investigation into fundraising abuses by a veterans charity [ Disabled Veterans National Foundation] and its direct-mail vendors, Quadriga Art and Convergence Direct Marketing." It goes on to report that the charity "...must create a committee to reexamine its business model, refrain from using Quadriga or Convergence for three years, and discontinue misleading fundraising appeals. It must also terminate its relationship with Charity Services International, a group that it paid to obtain donated goods for veterans that in some cases, the attorney general’s office said, did 'not have any useful purpose.'" The article also noted "Joseph VanFonda, chief executive of the Disabled Veterans National Foundation since late 2013, said in a statement he welcomed the settlement, which will 'enable us to improve the services we deliver and increase transparency with our loyal donors.' He said the group had hired an experienced fundraiser for a new position of development director." To read the full article and review the settlement, please see the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

This is from CBS News

July 1, 2014, 2:05 PM Fundraisers made millions from donations to disabled vets

Fundraisers hired by a national charity to raise money for disabled U.S. veterans duped the organization, soliciting contributions with tall tales that enriched the firms but did little to help former service members, an investigation by New York state prosecutors has found.

The Washington-based Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) became entangled with the fundraising firms Quadriga Art and Convergence Direct Marketing, according to New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, whose office investigated the charity's tactics. The fundraising firms ultimately netted more than $100 million from donations to the charity, while the DVNF ended up close to $14 million in debt. More than 90 cents of every dollar donated by consumers went to the for-profit fundraisers, the probe revealed.

The tactics Quadriga and Convergence used to raise that money were shady. The direct mail campaigns that solicited money from consumers used a moving -- but fake -- story about a veteran who had purportedly been wounded and helped by the charity. The firms also made claims about services DVNF provided around the country that didn't exist.

In a nutshell, they end up making folks tie the two groups together so when the DAV does something good, folks think they did it and when they do something bad, folks think the DAV did it. Please beware of who is who doing what to who!

VA Pahrump Nevada Clinic Finally Going Foward

VA awards $12M contract for Pahrump clinic
Las Vegas Review-Journal
By Steve Tetreault and Keith Rogers
August 5, 2015

"The fight doesn't end here," said Carl Jones, commander of the Disabled American Veterans Pahrump Chapter 15. "Now we need the VA to build it quickly and find the right staffing to make it operational."

A series of Nevada lawmakers have pressured the VA to move forward on a new Pahrump clinic dating back to January 2012 when it was first proposed.


WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs awarded a $12.1 million contract Wednesday to build a long-awaited new health care clinic for veterans in Pahrump.

The contract to W and J Development LLC — announced on the heels of VA Secretary Robert McDonald's visit Tuesday to Southern Nevada — comes three years after the VA solicited bids and as the Nye County community watched other modern veterans health outposts open 60 miles away in Las Vegas.

A date for groundbreaking has not been set. VA spokesman Richard Beam said the agency has committed the 9,948-square-foot clinic at Basin Avenue and Lola Lane near Desert View Hospital will be completed within 18 months, "and that clock starts today."

A full service medical center in North Las Vegas and four associated community clinics opened in the Las Vegas Valley in 2012. A community outpatient clinic in Laughlin opened last year.

"The nearly 6,000 veterans in Pahrump have earned the right to have access to the same VA healthcare as veterans living in Las Vegas do," said Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

The Pahrump facility will double the size of the current VA clinic housed in a 16-year-old modular building on East Calvada Boulevard that VA officials conceded was showing wear. About 2,500 veterans are enrolled for services at the site.

The new clinic will continue to provide primary care, mental health care, tele-medicine, social work services, radiology and lab services, according to VA spokesman Richard Beam. Reid in a fact sheet said some of the services will be expanded, as well as space added for pharmacy services.

"The benefit of the additional space will give us flexibility," Beam said. "You can't necessarily anticipate what needs the demographic will have but the space will allow us to meet needs quicker as they change."

Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., who sits on the Senate's veterans committee, said the new clinic "brings much-needed health care access to local veterans."
read more here

Arizona Veterans Frustrated with Shuttle Service

N4T Investigators: Veterans complain about new V.A. shuttle service
Tucson KVOA News 4
Written By Paul Birmingham
June 21, 2015

“There's about 1,300 shuttles that are done on a weekly basis, so when you have five or six complaints, that's not a significant number, but we're not happy to have any complaints. So, obviously, we want to provide great transportation to all our veterans,” Sample said.

For disabled veterans, transportation to and from doctors appointments is more than a luxury, it can be a lifeline. Though, as the News 4 Tucson Investigators have discovered, some disabled veterans in our community are extremely dissatisfied with those services.

Mark Martinez served in the United States Army more than three decades ago. Every day, he deals with the hip, back, and knee pain from injuries he suffered during his service as a young man.

“I was 101st Airborne. I jumped out of perfectly good airplanes, got hurt coming down one night, and it's never been the same since,” Martinez said.

Now, Martinez's pain is coupled with frustration over changes in the provider who takes him to medical appointments at the southern Arizona Veterans health center.

The turnaround came earlier this year, when the V.A. went with a new company that was contracted to provide transportation services for vets.

The contract allows for rides to be combined. Martinez says, it means he no longer receives one-on-one service in smaller minivans, like he used to under the previous transportation provider.

“I'm not going to be shuttled around like cattle or something like that,” Martinez said.

So, despite the pain of getting in and out of the truck he loves, he's resorted to driving himself to some appointments. Something that is harder for him to do financially.
read more here


One of the comments mentioned the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) providing rides

I'm A volunteer DAV driver for the VA Hospital. The DAV has a separate transportation service separate from the Hospital. They transport Vets that aren't eligible for VA transportation, but everyone is welcome. I normally provide one on one service when I drive, but occasionally because of scheduling and location of the pick up locations we may pick up 2 Vets. I would suggest that this Vet tries the DAV service once to see if this would work better for him. Some helpful hints are to make his appointments before 11:30 and call for a reservation early ( DAV will schedule up to a month in advance) He can call the DAV through Patient Travel (520-629-4626).

DAV Introduces Framework to Reform Veterans Affairs

DAV Introduces Framework to Reform Veterans Affairs Health Care
PR NewsWire
Press Release

Former National Commander Bobby Barrera speaks with Maj. Thomas Marquardt who

is undergoing rehabilitation therapy at Brooke Army Medical Center near San Antonio, TX.

WASHINGTON, May 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/

Testifying today before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, DAV (Disabled American Veterans) National Legislative Director Joseph Violante proposed a new four-part framework for reforming the Veterans Affairs health care system.

"The past year has largely focused on short-term solutions for VA to meet the immediate needs of veterans. But as we analyze and evaluate how these strategies have worked, we owe it to veterans to also develop a long-term plan to strengthen the VA moving forward," said Violante. "The framework we are proposing today addresses critical areas to rebuild, restructure, realign and reform the VA health care system to meet the needs of America's veterans well into the future."

DAV's framework for long-term solutions to providing timely and convenient access for veterans seeking health care includes:

Rebuilding and sustaining VA's capacity to provide timely, high-quality care, beginning with a long-term strategy to recruit, hire and maintain sufficient clinical staff at all VA treatment facilities;

Restructuring the non-VA care program into a single integrated, extended care network, requiring VA to first complete research and analysis related to the "choice" program and allowing the Commission on Care to complete its work, with Congress providing a single, separate and guaranteed funding mechanism for the VA Extended Care program;

Realigning and expanding VA health care services to meet the diverse needs of future generations of veterans, beginning with the creation of VA urgent care services; and

Reforming VA's management of the health care system by increasing efficiency, transparency and accountability in order to become a veteran-centric organization.

"As we are still in the process of reviewing the effectiveness of the Choice program, it's too soon to outline specific details of how to reform the VA health care system and non-VA care, but what we have done is establish a road map to help guide us," said Violante.

DAV's framework is rooted in analysis of current policies and practices, as well as input from the organization's 1.2 million member base. The plan addresses adequate funding of the VA as a key component of long-term stability and capacity to meet growing demands for service.

In the past decade, DAV and the authors of The Independent Budget have testified before Congress detailing massive multi-billion dollar shortfalls in both VA's medical care and infrastructure budgets which directly contributed to the health care access crisis veterans experienced in 2014.

DAV's plan also calls for sufficient time to complete and thoroughly review the Congressionally-mandated Commission on Care prior to development or implementation of any long-term strategies.

The VA provides highly specialized care to more than 3.8 million disabled veterans, specifically those who have suffered service-connected amputations, burns, paralysis, blindness, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), all while focusing on treatment of the "whole veteran."

"The VA faces serious challenges and is in need of a pathway for reform that will uphold our nation's promise to care for America's wounded, ill and injured veterans," said DAV Washington Headquarters Executive Director Garry Augustine. "Rather than fracturing veterans' health care, DAV believes the VA must be strengthened, and should remain at the heart of how we deliver care to those who served."

DAV empowers veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. It is dedicated to a single purpose: fulfilling our promises to the men and women who served. DAV does this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them; fighting for the interests of America's injured heroes on Capitol Hill; and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life.

DAV, a nonprofit organization with 1.2 million members, was founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932. Learn more at www.dav.org.

VFW and DAV Join Lawsuit for Veterans Against VA Changes

VFW, DAV Joint Legal Fight Against VA Over New Claims System
Military.com
by Bryant Jordan
May 08, 2015

Veterans groups, including the VFW and DAV, told the VA two years ago that any new system that eliminated the informal claims process would be opposed.

Two more veterans organizations are going to court against the Veterans Affairs Department over the agency's decision to end its historic informal claims process.

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday with the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Disabled American Veterans say that a new claims system the VA adopted in March "severely undercuts the non-adversarial, pro-veteran principles upon which the veterans' benefits system was built. In particular, the VA alters decades-long pro-veterans practices under the guise of creating efficiencies within the VA."

The efficiencies include the use of standardized forms that veterans would have to download, fill out and file.

"The VFW doesn't oppose the use of standardized forms," VFW National Veterans Service Director William L. Bradshaw said. "Our opposition is to this all or nothing approach that VA is forcing on veterans -- changes, that if left in place, will guarantee in this year alone that tens of thousands of service-connected wounded, ill and injured veterans will be denied benefits they were entitled to before the change became effective."

The VFW and DAV are only the latest veterans' advocates to sue the VA over the new system. Attorney Douglas J. Rosinski of Veterans Justice Group in Columbia, South Carolina, also filed a suit challenging the new system last November.

In March, The American Legion, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the National Veterans Legal Services Program, AMVETS, and the Vietnam Veterans of America filed suit.
read more here

These groups are fighting for all generations of veterans. That says something right there considering they have all been doing it for decades!

The VFW and the DAV are very dear to my heart. The VFW fights for all veterans no matter what generation they belong to.

My husband is a lifetime member of the VFW and DAV and I am a lifetime member of the DAV Auxiliary. My Dad (Korean veteran) was a lifetime member of the DAV, so in one way or another, I've known how hard they work all my life. They fight for all veterans to obtain what they are eligible for and compensated appropriately for their disabilities/wounds caused by serving this country.

They have been doing this work since the 40's. Congress on the other hand, did not do the same. The House Veterans Affairs Committee was seated in 1946.

While it may feel warm and fuzzy to think these politicians have the best interest of veterans in mind, the reality is they are like a rusty wheel making a lot of noise going in circles. Every year veterans don't even get excuses from them. They just spin their gears so they can point their fingers at whoever happens to sit in the seat as Secretary of the VA. Don't believe me. Just look up what they are supposed to be responsible for on the link above. Educate yourself so you know exactly what has been going on and why veterans blame congress!

Published on Apr 12, 2015
Saturday fed up veterans got into a dumpster to show how they feel. Congress has failed them and made them feel like they are disposable. Congress blames the VA only because they refuse to blame themselves! They write the rules, pass the budgets and are supposed to be in control over what the VA

The VFW and DAV earned your support and need your voice to fight for all generations of veterans. 

How many more times will you end up supporting charities to provide "awareness" of what some veterans are going through when these groups have been fighting for all veterans to make sure they didn't have to go through it?

DAV Who is Eligible?
Any man or woman:

who served in the armed forces during a period of war or under conditions simulating war, and was wounded, disabled to any degree, or left with long-term illness as a result of military service, and was discharged or retired from military service under honorable conditions.

What does DAV do for you?

Helps returning veterans transition back to civilian life by linking them with services that address their physical, emotional, and financial needs.

Provides free, professional assistance to veterans of all generations in obtaining VA and other government benefits earned through service.

Fights for veterans’ rights on Capitol Hill.

Links veterans to job training and job assistance programs.

Funds rehabilitation programs for veterans with severe disabilities, such as blindness or amputation.

UPDATE
Just a reminder of what else is going on:


VFW CALLS NEW VA APPROPRIATIONS BILL ‘BAD FOR VETERANS’
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IS SET TO PENALIZE DISABLED VETERANS
April 28, 2015

WASHINGTON — The national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States said the U.S. House of Representatives is set to penalize disabled veterans this week if it votes to reduce the Department of Veterans Affairs budget request by more than $1.5 billion.

“The nationwide crisis in care and confidence that erupted in the VA last year was caused in many ways by a lack of adequate resourcing that only Congress is authorized to provide,” said John W. Stroud, who leads the 1.9 million-member VFW and its Auxiliaries. “That’s why the VFW is demanding that the House amend this bill to appropriate a funding level that fully funds VA.”

In its current form, the fiscal year 2016 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill makes across-the-board cuts to all VA discretionary accounts, and drastically underfunds medical care, major construction and Information Technology accounts. Stroud said across-the-board cuts to discretionary spending is what Congress created back in 2011, but by another name, sequestration. Now the House wants to impose its own sequester on a federal department whose sole mission is to care for wounded, ill and injured veterans.

“The VA cannot fulfill its mission without proper funding, but the House for whatever reason now wants to ration care, eliminate infrastructure projects, and stop improving upon the programs and services that the VA was created to provide,” said the VFW national commander. “This bill is bad for veterans and any vote for it is unconscionable, which is why we want veterans and advocates everywhere to get involved by urging their elected officials to fully fund the VA.”

DAV “We’re Just Disabled Vets Trying to Help Each Other”

Veterans who helped take victory in Europe in WWII need help 
Charleston Daily Mail
by Tyler Bell, Police Reporter
May 7, 2015

“We’re just disabled vets trying to help each other,” he said. “We had to fight for this stuff to get it.”

TYLER BELL/DAILY MAIL A.J. Brooks, a 90-year-old Army veteran of World War II, suffered from battle fatigue, what now is known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, following his service in the European Theater of the war. He now relies on the Disabled American Veterans’ van program to get to VA hospitals for care because he doesn’t drive anymore.

The world stood together in celebration 70 years ago today, when the battered remnants of Adolf Hitler’s war machine officially surrendered and the European portion of World War II ended in Allied victory.

It’s easy to forget, however, that many of the men and women who slogged through the bloody sands of Normandy and huddled together for warmth outside of Bastogne are still alive, and in their old age are increasingly in need of help.

“The thing that bothered me real bad at the time, they called it battle fatigue,” said A.J. Brooks, a 90-year-old World War II veteran living in the Lewisburg area. Brooks served in the Army’s 3rd Armored Division during the war, following the division through its campaigns in France, including the Normandy Invasion, France, Belgium and eventually Germany.

He joined when he was 17.

“I was going to whip the war by myself,” he said with a laugh.

Brooks is one of the 6,892 World War II veterans living in West Virginia, according to the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics. The majority of those veterans are upwards of 90 years old and just as susceptible to the strictures of aging as anyone else.

Brooks, like many veterans, relies on VA Medical Centers for his health care. But as he ages, he’s become reliant on others for transportation.

“I can’t drive and I don’t drive,” he said. “I always get my friend here to drive me.”

Brooks is talking about Mike Dawson, an Adjutant for Disabled American Veterans in West Virginia. Dawson, a disabled veteran himself, helped organize a van program to ferry veterans to and from VA Medical Centers statewide.

“We’re just disabled vets trying to help each other,” he said. “We had to fight for this stuff to get it.”
read more here

VA Special Medical Advisory Group Includes DAV Director

VA News Release
Group of Respected Medical Experts to Advise VA on Health Care for 9 Million Veterans
04/24/2015 02:04 PM EDT

Special Medical Advisory Group Led by Dr. Jonathan Perlin of Hospital Corporation of America

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced a new 11-member Special Medical Advisory Group (SMAG) composed of leading medical experts to assist the Department in delivering health care to the 9 million Veterans enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration.

The SMAG is a reconstituted federally-chartered committee that advises the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, through the Under Secretary for Health, on matters related to health care delivery, research, education, training of health care staff and planning on shared care issues facing VA and the Department of Defense.

“We want the best of the best to work on behalf of our nation’s Veterans,” said VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald. “We are honored these respected leaders from the private, non-profit and government sectors have agreed to join in our mission improve how we provide the quality health care our nation’s Veterans need and deserve.”

The appointment of the new members of the SMAG comes at a time when VA is experiencing increased demand for its health care services. Nationally, VA completed more than 51 million appointments between May 1, 2014, and March 31, 2015. This represents an increase of 2.4 million more completed appointments than during the same time period in 2013-2014. In March 2015, VA completed 97 percent of appointments within 30 days of the Veteran’s preferred date.

Serving as SMAG Committee Chair is Dr. Jonathan Perlin, who previously served as VA Under Secretary for Health from 2004-2006. Dr. Perlin is currently Chief Medical Officer and President of Clinical Services for the Nashville, Tennessee-based Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). In this capacity, Dr. Perlin provides leadership for clinical services and improving performance for HCA’s 166 hospitals and more than 800 outpatient centers and physician practices. Recognized perennially as one of the most influential physician executives in the United States by Modern Healthcare, Dr. Perlin is a recipient of numerous awards.

Other Committee members:

Karen S. Guice, MD, M.P.P.
Dr. Guice serves as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and Principal Deputy Director, TRICARE Management Activity. In these two roles, Dr. Guice assists in the development of strategies and priorities to achieve the health mission of the Military Health System (MHS), and participates fully in formulating, developing, overseeing and advocating the policies of the Secretary of Defense. The Office of Health Affairs is responsible for providing a cost effective, quality health benefit to 9.6 million active duty uniformed Service Members, retirees, survivors and their families. The MHS has a $50 billion annual budget and consists of a worldwide network of 59 military hospitals, 360 health clinics, private-sector health business partners, and the Uniformed Services University.

Joy Ilem, Deputy National Legislative Director, DAV
Ms. Ilem, a U.S. Army service-connected disabled Veteran, was named Deputy National Legislative Director of the of the 1.2 million-member Disabled American Veterans (DAV), in June 2009. In this capacity, Ms. Ilem directs the advancement of DAV’s public policy objectives.

Thomas Lee, MD
Dr. Lee serves as Chief Medical Officer for Press Ganey, which advises and consults with healthcare businesses to help identify the best practices for the organization and the patient. Dr. Lee joined Press Ganey in 2013, bringing more than three decades of experience in health care performance improvement as a practicing physician, a leader in provider organizations, researcher and health policy expert. As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Lee is responsible for developing clinical and operational strategies to help providers across the nation measure and improve the patient experience, with an overarching goal of reducing the suffering of patients as they undergo care and improving the value of that care. In addition to his role with Press Ganey, Dr. Lee is an internist and cardiologist, and continues to practice primary care at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Ralph Snyderman, MD
Dr. Snyderman is former president and CEO of the Duke University Health System and director of Duke’s Center for Research on Personalized Health Care. He currently serves as Chancellor Emeritus for the Duke University Department of Medicine. He is former Chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

Jennifer Daley, MD
Dr. Daley is a Senior Adviser for the consulting firm, Cambridge Management Group. She is nationally recognized for her expertise in operational improvement, patient safety, quality and service excellence. Dr. Daley is a past recipient of a U.S. Naval Academy-Harvard Business Review Ethical Leadership Award in July 2007.

James Henry Martin, MD
Dr. Martin has been practicing emergency medicine and primary care medicine in the Chicago area since 1978 and is currently on the medical staffs of Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, North Chicago; and Metro South Medical Center, Blue Island, IL. He has extensive clinical research experience in the area of nasal insulin studies. Dr. Martin is currently developing a nasal mupirocin spray foam to eradicate nasal MRSA, and a nasal foam medication formulation. He has had 14 US patents issued and over 40 foreign patents issued, including a patent in 2014 covering the formulation above.

Melvin Shipp, OD, MPH, DrPH
Dr. Shipp serves as Dean Emeritus, College of Optometry for The Ohio State University. He has served as a consultant, panelist and reviewer for several federal institutions –notably, the Food and Drug Administration, the Health Resources and Services Administration and in several capacities with the National Eye Institute (NEI) of the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Shipp also has assumed leadership and membership roles within a variety of non-federal, national health-related organizations. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, and a Diplomate and former Chair of the Public Health and Environmental Optometry Section. Dr. Shipp is only the second optometrist to receive the DrPH degree; he is the first to do so through the highly competitive Pew Health Policy Doctoral Fellowship Program at the University of Michigan.

James Weinstein, DO, MD
Dr. Weinstein serves as Chief Executive Officer and President of Dartmouth Hitchcock, a nonprofit academic health system that serves a patient population of 1.2 million in New England. Anchored by Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, the system includes the Norris Cotton Cancer Center; the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock; affiliate hospitals in New London, NH, and Windsor, VT; and 24 Dartmouth-Hitchcock clinics that provide ambulatory services across New Hampshire and Vermont. Under Dr. Weinstein’s leadership, Dartmouth-Hitchcock is working to create a “sustainable health system” for patients, providers, payers and communities. Dr. Weinstein also is a member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences. He serves on the IOM Committee on advising the Social Security Administration on Disability. Most recently, Dr. Weinstein was one of four members appointed to the IOM Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice.

Deborah Trautman, PhD, RN
Ms. Trautman is Chief Executive Officer for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), a role she assumed in 2014. At AACN, she oversees strategic initiatives, signature programming and advocacy efforts led by the organization known as the national voice for baccalaureate and graduate nursing education. She has authored and coauthored publications on health policy, intimate partner violence, pain management, clinical competency, change management, cardiopulmonary bypass, the use of music in the emergency department and consolidating emergency services.

Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH, President and CEO, America’s Essential Hospitals
Dr. Siegel serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of America’s Essential Hospitals (formerly the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems). Dr. Siegel has an extensive background in health care management, policy and public health. Before joining NAPH, he served as Director of the Center for Health Care Quality and Professor of Health Policy at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. He also previously served as President and CEO of two NAPH members: Tampa General Healthcare and the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation. In addition, Dr. Siegel has served as Commissioner of Health of the State of New Jersey. Among many accomplishments, Dr. Siegel has led groundbreaking work on quality and equity for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, as well as projects for the Commonwealth Fund, the California Endowment and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. He also was ranked as one of the “50 Most Influential Physician Executives” and one of the "100 Most Influential People in Healthcare" in 2011 by Modern Healthcare. Currently, he chairs the National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality.

The announcement of the Special Medical Advisory Group follows the introduction of the Veterans Health Administration’s “Blueprint for Excellence,” which lays out strategies for transformation to improve the performance of VA health care now —making it more Veteran-centric by putting Veterans in control of their VA experience.

The SMAG Committee is scheduled to conduct its first meeting on May 13, 2015. More information about SMAG may be found at www.va.gov/ADVISORY/SMAG.asp.

DAV Remembering Vietnam Veterans Suffered Same Wounds of War

Vietnam Vets Dealing With Effects of War Decades Later 
KDLT News
Caiti Blase, KDLT News Reporter
Mar 28, 2015

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Thousands of South Dakotans served during the Vietnam War with hundreds making the ultimate sacrifice.

Many returned home, but are still dealing with the effects of war decades later. An event to remember those who served during the Vietnam era was held in Sioux Falls Saturday.

Ritchie Wilson said, "I went to Vietnam in the spring of 1970." It's been over 40 years since Wilson served in the Vietnam War. "I was with the 25th Infantry Division. I was an infantry squad leader,” said Wilson. But the scars of battle are still with Wilson many years later.
read more here