VA News for Saturday, September 18, 2010

1.      VA Notes Benefits, Services For Former POWs. The Bangor (ME) Daily News (9/17) carries a Veterans Affairs press release, distributed by Business Wire, which on the occasion of POW-MIA National Recognition Day stating the Secretary Shinseki "wants former American prisoners of war to be aware of the benefits and services available to them as Americans across the nation show respect and appreciation." Shinseki says that the veterans "made great sacrifices for their country in time of war, and it is our nation's turn to honor them by reinforcing to them the full range of compensation, health care and benefits they have earned." Among the VA's expanded policies to cover the growing numbers of former prisoners of war – over 15,000 are currently receiving VA benefits -- are medical treatment at VA facilities without co-payments, disability payments for internment-related injuries and diseases, presumed service connection for some diseases, and free dental treatment for any eligible condition.

2.      NJ Assembly Panel Clears Bill To Recommend Vet Inpatient Facility In South Of State. The Vineland (NJ) Daily Journal (9/18) reports, "Legislation that would create a task force to study ways to expand veterans' health care services in South Jersey advanced Thursday. The Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee approved the bill." Sponsored by Democrats Matt Milam in the Assembly and Jeff Van Drew in the Senate, it would create a New Jersey Veterans' Hospital Task Force to study and make recommendations on constructing and operating a veterans' health care facility in South Jersey, or for contracting with an existing health care facility to provide services to veterans. The 18-member task force would include representatives of state government and the New Jersey legislature, veterans from southern counties and others with medical backgrounds and would have a year to make recommendations to the governor and state legislature.
     The website NewJerseyNewsroom.com (9/17, Hester) adds that, without a nearby Department of Veterans Affairs inpatient medical center, South Jersey veterans are forced to travel long distances to VA medical centers in northern North Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware. The bill (A. 845), already passed by the state Senate, now moves to the full Assembly for consideration.

3.      Virginia Opens Education Center Honoring Vietnam POW. The Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch (9/17) reports, Amid sunshine, music and children's song -- and American heroes from half a dozen wars -- the Virginia War Memorial opened its new Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center today." The $10 million education center in Richmond "honors Paul Galanti for his service and sacrifice as a prisoner of war in Vietnam for six and a half years, and his wife Phyllis for her leadership in moving communist North Vietnam to treat American POWs correctly and, ultimately, free them." About 300 attended the opening ceremony on National POW/MIA Recognition Day; that evening the center would be the site of a "gala celebration featuring Gov. Bob McDonnell and former presidential candidate Ross Perot, among others."

4.      Texas Veterans Commission, Local Lawyers Help Marine Reservists Before Deployment. The Houston Business Journal (9/17, Wooten) reports, "The Houston Bar Association joined forces with the Texas Veterans Commission on a mission this week to help local Marine reservists get legal services before deployment. About 50 volunteer lawyers from local firms gathered near Ellington Field on Sept. 12 to aid 90 reservists in the preparation of wills and estate planning documents."

5.      Veterans Affairs, Pentagon Launch Fourth Health Data-Sharing Pilot Project. In continuing coverage, Becker's Hospital Review (9/17, Oh) reports, "The Defense and Veterans Affairs Departments have launched a fourth virtual lifetime electronic record pilot in Spokane, Wash., according to a Government Health IT report. The Spokane (Wash.) VA Medical Center and Fairchild Air Force Case, located just outside of Spokane, Wash., will work with a Spokane health information exchange network, Inland Northwest Health Services, to make medical records of veterans and other service members available to their federal healthcare providers." iHealthBeat (9/17) adds that the other pilot project locations are Indianapolis; The Hampton/Tidewater, Va. region; and San Diego.

6.      Many VAMCs Hold POW/MIA Day Observances. Numerous local print and electronic media report observances at VA facilities of POW-MIA Recognition Day yesterday. The St. Louis (MO) Globe-Democrat (9/17) reports, "Many highly-decorated, retired POW's were being honored Friday by the St. Louis VA Medical Center, who hosted its second salute to POW's (Prisoner of War) and MIA's (Missing in Action) at Soldier's Memorial in downtown St. Louis. The POW-MIA Recognition Day was set aside to recognize the sacrifices of those American service members, who suffered or still suffer in captivity while on active duty with the United States Armed Forces or who were or remain Missing In Action in all wars."
     The website of WIVB-TV Buffalo, NY (9/17, Zineke) reports, "Western New Yorkers gathered Friday morning to show support for service members who have gone missing or been captured overseas. The VA Hospital hosted Friday's ceremony in honor of National Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Recognition Day. The annual occasion is meant to remind people to honor the sacrifices and commitments of the 142,000 Americans who have been captured or imprisoned since World War I."
     The Central NY.YNN.com (9/17, Greenberg) reports that from Bath, New York that "A ceremony at the Bath VA Medical Center Friday afternoon honored courageous men... who risked their lives." The manager of voluntary services at the Bath VAMC notes that normally each POW is given a flower, a table set for a missing man commemorates MIAs, and a white rose is presented to the widow of a POW.
     KNXV-TV /Scripps Phoenix, AZ (9/17, Parks) reports, "Prisoners of war and those who remain missing in action were honored in a Phoenix ceremony Friday morning. The remembrance ceremony was held in the chapel of the Carl T. Hayden Veterans Affairs Medical Center and had many veterans in attendance." It notes that a Korean War POW attended the ceremony.
     KWES-TV Odessa-Midland, TX (9/17, Ruiz) reports, "On Friday, the Veteran's Hospital in Big Spring took time to honor a special kind of service men and women those who've suffered as prisoners of war and those who are still missing." The account includes comments by a Korean War POW.
     KGUN-TV Tucson, AZ (9/17, Waldman) reports, "Tens of thousands of military MIAs and POWs are still not back home. That's why today, the Tucson Veterans Hospital hosted its annual POW-MIA Recognition Day, part of a national remembrance." The article interviews a Bataan death march survivor, and notes that an Air Force general says that over 81,000 service personnel are unaccounted for, mostly from World War II and the Korean War.
     KTRV-TV Boise, ID (9/17) reports that, in the Treasure Valley, the POW/MIA remembrance "was marked with a service at the VA Medical Center Flag Pole." At the ceremony, "the official POW/MIA flag was flown over Boise and a proclamation by the Governor was read honoring their sacrifice."
     The Tri-City (WA) Herald (9/17) reports, "National POW/MIA Recognition Day will be celebrated today at the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center, Parade Grounds. A POW/MIA remembrance ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by a reception and Missing Person Ceremony at 11 a.m. in the theater in Building 78."
     The Connect Mid-Missouri.com (9/17) reports, "Mid-Missouri joins the rest of the nation today in noting Prisoner Of War/Missing In Action Recognition Day. A ceremony at the Truman VA Hospital at 2 p.m. will be held in the hospital auditorium, followed by another on the state Capitol grounds in Jefferson City, and other events at veterans' facilities nationwide.
     The Altoona (PA) Mirror (9/18, Kibler) reports, "Three former students who are now employees of Van Zandt VA Medical Center gathered around Joe Conlon Friday outside the hospital, and judging by the looks on their faces, the way they held themselves, how they spoke and what they said, their attitude bordered on reverential. Conlon, 85, a retired English teacher at Central High School, was one of several former prisoners of war honored at the local version of a national day of recognition for POWs and service members missing in action."
     Presidential Proclamation Issued. A blog of the Jordan (MN) Independent (9/17) publishes the presidential proclamation declaring September 17 as National POW/MIA Recognition Day, and authorizing the black and white POW-MIA flag to be flown over the White House, the Capitol, the Departments of State, Defense, and Veterans Affairs, national cemeteries and other locations.
     Pentagon Ceremony Noted. KCBD-TV Lubbock (9/17) reports, "American soldiers who are prisoners of war and missing in action were remembered Friday at the Pentagon in an elaborate ceremony at the Pentagon River Parade Field. Defense Secretary Gates said the United States is doing everything it can to bring back missing and captured service members. He also said the US has returned the bodies of more than 60 missing service members to their families over the past year."

 7.      Long Island Sends 500th World War II Veteran On Honor Flight. The Hamptons.com (9/18) reports that Honor Flight Long Island announces that its next flight on September 25 "will carry its 500th Long Island Veteran to the WWII Memorial in Washington, DC." The organization, which began its flights in October 2007, says that it will continue until all of Long Island's estimated 50,000 World War II veterans who want to make the trip have a chance to do so.
     Honor Flight Will Send Over 80 Arkansas Veterans To WWII Memorial. KHBS-TV Fort Smith, Arkansas (9/17) reports, "More than 80 Arkansas World War II veterans are traveling to Washington, D.C., Saturday as a part of the Northwest Arkansas Honor Flight program." The participants range in age for 88 and 98, and include four women who served in the military during World War II.
     Midwest Veterans Also Make Trip To Memorials. The Fort Madison Daily Democrat (9/17, Henderson, Ridinger) reports on a recent flight by 32 World War II veterans from southeast Iowa and west central Illinois. The Keokuk (IA) Gate City Daily (9/17) also carries the story.
     Missouri Bank Also Sponsors Veterans Trip. The Maryville (MO) Daily Forum (9/17, Brown) reports on a similar trip by 21 veterans, organized by the Citizens Bank & Trust Co. as a "Thanks Our WWII Vets tour." The Chillicothe (MO) Constitution-Tribune (9/17) briefly reported on some area veterans who were part of the CBT tour.

8.      City Commission Denies Request To Exhume War Hero. The Ventura County Star (9/17, Clerici) reports, "A Ventura commission this week rejected a request to exhume the remains of a Medal of Honor recipient at Ventura's Cemetery Memorial Park, saying the decorated war hero should stay put. Members of the city's Parks and Recreation Commission also promised to better recognize all of the estimated 3,000 people buried at the hillside cemetery-turned-city park. They voted unanimously to send a denial recommendation to the City Council, which has final say." A retired Marine sergeant had urged that the remains of Pvt. James Sumner, awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Grant in 1870 for actions in an Indian battle in Arizona, be relocated to a national cemetery for military veterans in Bakersfield.

9.      Civil War Veteran Interred In Missouri State Cemetery.  Missourinet (9/17, Machetta) reports, "A veteran of the US Civil War and his wife were interred in the Missouri State Veterans' Cemetery in Jacksonville. John Kling served as a private on the side of the Union. He died in 1918, followed in 1923 by his wife Elizabeth. The couple's remains were unclaimed for 87 years until the Missing in America Project confirmed his status as a veteran, making Friday's service possible." Kling was the first Civil War veteran claimed by the Missing in America Project.

10.    Focusing On Military Issues, Boxer Vows More Funds For Returning Veterans' Mental Health. The Los Angeles Times (9/18, Reston) reports, "Facing fierce criticism from her Republican opponent on her record on military issues, Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer made yet another visit Friday to a facility with military ties -- meeting with officials of a USC program who are training mental healthcare providers to work with veterans and active duty personnel. Noting that she had helped secure $3.2 million for the program last year, Boxer vowed to fight for increased funding this year and to keep her colleagues in Washington focused on the mental health issues faced by servicemen and women returning from Afghanistan and Iraq." During the first two weeks of the August Congressional recess, the Times notes, Boxer, who has been attacked by election opponent Carly Fiorina as undependable on military matters, "visited a veterans hospital in Palo Alto to tout a new mental health unit, held a public event with Japanese American World War II veterans, spoke at the delivery ceremony of the 201st C-17 cargo plane and attended a groundbreaking at a child-care center at Vandenberg Air Force Base where she announced her participation in a new Senate caucus focusing on military families."

11.    Former Military Hospital Site Urged As PTSD Treatment Facility. The Silver City (NM) News (9/16, Vestal) reports that completion of the new Fort Bayard medical facility, expected in the next few months, "throws the fate of old Fort Bayard in limbo. The state, which owns the property, must find a new entity that would run the facility. Supporters, such as the preservation society, said they would like to see the hospital used as a clinic to treat veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder." They note that Fort Bayard, now a state and national historic landmark, served as a military hospital from 1922 to 1956.

12.    Local VA Launches Rural Transportation Program.  KWTX-TV Waco, TX (9/17, Williams) reports, "The Temple Veterans Affairs center rolled out a pilot transportation program this month that could change how veterans nationwide are served in rural areas." According to the assistant director of the Temple VAMC, response from veterans has been good. The program, expected to be in place by November, will expand transportation services for veterans to a 50-mile radius of the center. At present, it only serves veterans along a state highway in two nearby counties.

13.    New VA Clinic In Iowa Will Be Located At Regional Hospital.  KCIM-AM Carroll, IA (9/17, Blankman) reports, "Saint Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll received word today that they have been selected as the location for a VA Veteran's Community Based Outpatient Clinic." Construction on the clinic, to be based on the second floor of the main hospital building, will start Monday.

14.    VA Outpatient Clinic In Rockwood, TN Will Close Temporarily.  WBIR-TV Knoxville, TN (9/17) reports, "An outpatient clinic for Veterans in Rockwood which opened its doors in June, shut its doors this week. According to a spokesman for the VA, the closure is temporary and relates to contract issues. Rockwood City Mayor Jim Watts told 10News Friday the issues involved the clinic's doctor. Close to 300 patients are enrolled in the outpatient clinic which opened on June 1, 2010."

15.    Alleged Misuse Of War Memorial Funds Brings Jail For Texas Man. The Fort Worth Star Telegram (9/17) reports, "A Mansfield man was jailed Friday on allegations that he paid personal expenses with money" that donors believed would go to building a memorial to service members killed in combat. Evan Walter Coleman, 57, had served as chairman for the United States Fallen Heroes Foundation, which said it would raise $15 million for a memorial to service personnel who died in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf. Booked into the Tarrant County Jail Friday for misapplication of fiduciary property and theft of $20,000 to $100,000, Coleman "was indicted in late August by the Tarrant County district attorney after the Texas attorney general accused him of falsely stating that the funds he collected 'would be used to build a national memorial in Kennedale.'" According to court documents, Coleman used donations to pay for his mortgage, meals and utilities."

16.    Agencies Hired 32,800 Vets In First Six Months Of Fiscal 2010. The Federal Times (9/17. Losey) reports, "The federal government hired more than 32,800 veterans during the first half of fiscal 2010, the Office of Personnel Management said Thursday. That is 2,600 more veterans than were hired during the same period in fiscal 2009, OPM said, and is a sign that the administration's push to improve veteran employment is showing results." It also noted that the President's Interagency Council on Veterans Employment has adopted new goals for veteran hiring based on each agency's percentage of veteran hires, and the Treasury, Agriculture, Justice and Interior departments were reported to have shown particular improvement in hiring veterans during the period.

17.    Nevada Blue Star Mothers Will Put Together Gift Stockings For Troops Overseas.  KVUU-TV Las Vegas, NV (9/17) reports that residents of Henderson, Nevada "can submit the names of soldiers serving overseas for a holiday stocking collection sponsored by the city and Blue Star Mothers of Henderson and Boulder City." Interested members of the public will help assemble the gift stockings at the Henderson Convention Center on November 9-11.

18.    Veterans Guest House In Reno Expands.  KRNV-TV Reno, NV (9/17) reports that the Veterans Guest House, "which provides temporary housing for veterans and their families while undergoing medical treatment in the area, purchased the duplex property immediately adjacent to the current house, according to a publicist for the guest house." The facility has housed more than 17,000 guests during the past six years.

19.    Big Spring VA Buries 60-Year Time Capsule.  KOSA-TV Odessa-Midland, TX (9/17, Sherman) reports, "The Big Spring VA Medical Center buried a time capsule this morning that wont be see for 60 years." Items collected from VA employees and others – including tokens of the hospital, a proclamation by the local Congressman and other mementos -- were buried in front of the hospital, and will be seen again when the capsule is reopened on September 17. 2070.

20.    Forty Years Later, Texas Woman Meets Vietnam POW Whose Bracelet She Wore. The Katy (TX) Times (9/17, Hamilton) reports, "Jane Ellis of Nottingham Country never suspected that accepting a friend's invitation to an Astros game would bring her face-to-face with her hero of the past four decades. 'I jumped up when I recognized his name on the Jumbotron screen,' she said. "He threw out the first pitch.' As a teenager in northeast Texas, Ellis had worn a metal bracelet with the name of Lt. Col. Leo Thorness, a Congressional Medal winner who was held as a POW in Vietnam for nearly six years.