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Happy Veterans Day to all of our vets, thank you for your service.
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To all the Veterans, past and present, I am very thankful to be able to honor your service to our country. This coming Veterans Day, my flag will be flying from my right front porch post. In honor of you and all that have served this wonderful country that God has allowed me to raise my family, and to live in, with peace. To attend church and serve God as I please. To have the freedom to be able to hunt and fish as I so enjoy. This is very important for me to be thankful for this upcoming Thanksgiving Day and Christmas season of giving. Thank you all so very much. Respect, Honor, PGR ..... [ATTACH]72698[/ATTACH] Thank you all.... :thumbsup2: :usa: :usa: :usa:
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Thanks to Gary (99Silver) for sending this to me. Semper Fi. [ame=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2487638612433437293&q=Vetera]REVEILLE[/ame]
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I recently attended a meeting at the Patriots Motorcycle Club, and asked the President if I had the okay to sell and send their Patriots Supporter patches to the U.S.A. He agreed it would be great to have you wear an Australian Military veterans patch. The Patriots M/C was started by Vietnam Vets, and is a club that current service personnel, and veterans can join throughout Australia. The patch is unique and depicts all branches of the Australian Military. They do a lot of charity rides, and try to take care of veterans needs. We have a ride this Sunday, and all proceeds go to Legacy. If anyone is interested, the patch is $10, and postage paid by me. [i have Paypal] Maybe some PGR chapters might like to do a swap of patches, and I could ask Patriot members if they were interested in an exchange.
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For 37 years I always thought that only those on activate duty or retired military qualified for military discount at various retail business. Two weeks ago I learn that some retailers also give similar discounts to anyone who has ever served in the military. Home depot gives a 10% discount to all those who are serving or has ever served all year round. For those who do not have a military ID card they require you to should your dd214 discharge papers or your Veterans Administration ID card. Well I did not have neither but I did find my Veterans Admin Certificate of Eligibility for my VA loan when I purchased my 1st house. I did need to get the managers approval for the discount. I purchased $2000.00 worth of new carpet and pad for my basement project. Now, you can not combine other discount programs with your military discount. You can only choose one. If you also need a copy of your dd214 go to this link. It if free but it could take up to 6 months. http://dd214.us/ If you need it faster there are other sites that can do that for you for a fee. Just search for "Copy of dd214". I am in the process of researching how to obtain a VA ID card so that I do not have to continue to carry my Veterans Admin Certificate of Eligibility paper. If anyone knows the process in how to obtain the VA ID cards please respond to this thread. So today when I went to OReilys to buy some seafoam at buy 2 and get the 3rd free, I asked if O'Reilys gives a military discount and they said yes. But theirs is a bit more complex. First no discount on sales items. 2nd some items do not qualify. So you will need to ask. They did say that most batteries gets a 15% discount. I'm going to be asking every retailer for this military discount. Also being that I'll be turning 60 soon, hopefully I'll be able to get some kind of a discount everywhere I go. Hope this helps some of you.
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I would like to take a second to day and say thank you to all the Veterans out there from where ever you may be from and how and where ever you may have served. We and our families are safe and free because of you and those that gave their lives for us. It is pouting rain in my city, I am going to go get dressed warm and head to our local Cenotaph and watch the military parade into our town. I will remember my father and his brothers that all served time in Europe during WWII. I will remember my mother that went to work at the ship yard to help build the ships my father served on for 25 years. I will think of how lucky I have been to have had so many give so much for me to be free. Thank you This from my friend Calvin's website: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.barkingmadspeedshop.com%2F2011%2F11%2Fnovember-11-remembrance-day.html%3Fspref%3Dfb&h=NAQG10n1WAQEzwSKd8hzWGCLWdXFKnTOonhiDFnofD4yCHQ
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I went for my Veteran's Day ride looking for those flying the American Flag. Sad to say that in 50 miles I could not find a single American Flag on a car. I drop down into Orting for there is The Washington's Soldiers Home there. It was pretty early and the workers were just starting to put out the American Flag for this is their big day. Good to see that Liberals hasn't invaded the Soldiers Home, for the American Flag still fly’s proudly there. I did find 2 homes proudly flying Old Glory. Our home fly’s the American Flag everyday for everyday I'm thankful for all Veterans, especially personal for me is to remember the Korean War Veterans for they died and fought so I can live in America and be free. See I was born in 1952 right in the middle of the Korean War. I'm a Korean War Orphan, adopted into an American family. I've grafted into the American Society. I speak English, study American history, totally lost my 7 years old Korean language and culture. Personally I do not miss it. Today except for my physicial appearance, I am an American 100 percent. My son and daughter both know that had it not been for the American Fighting GIs that each of them would not be here for my life would have been much different had it not been for the Americans. Well I don't have any heated riding suit so my ride was pretty cold. All my fingers and hands were extremely cold and numb. It made me think of the freezing weather that the GIs had to fight in, I stop complaining. Its great to be part of Venture Riders and the Partiot Guard a great pool of Patriotism is found here. Patriotism seems to be harder and harder to find in the general public. But in my family Patriotism is taught early. The last picture is my grand daughter last year at the age of 3.
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Just saying thanks to all the vets and all they have done. Thank you.Bill
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If you are looking or know a Vet who is looking, this may be of some help... "Finally, if you are looking for a job or know a veteran who is, I encourage you to participate in an online career fair hosted by the Veterans Administration and Milicruit.com this Thursday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. CST. More than 60 military-friendly national employers from the private and federal sectors will participate in the virtual online jobs fair. Veterans can pre-register at http://veteranscareerfair.com. On the day of the fair, veterans can log in and visit employer booths, view job openings, apply for jobs, watch employer videos and presentations, chat live with recruiters, and complete on-the-spot video interviews."
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I will be going for a ride with some fellow veterans tomorrow morning. http://techboss.in/index.php/2011-auburn-veterans-day-parade-and-observance/ I believe (have heard) this is the largest remaining veterans parade in the country. Mike
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I hope this works:thumbsup2: Free food and other stuff!!!
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Veterans Affairs Canada has just produced a new video honouring all veterans and pointing them towards Veterans affairs across Canada. It goes from coast to coast showing some veterans and listing their names and the theater they served in. There is a B. Tessier with his wife and his RSV shown early in the video, does anyone know him or if he is a member here? I would like to thank everyone for their service of their military no matter where you lived or served, the service you performed is greatly appreciated! http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/video-gallery/video/9010 Brian
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An "interesting" way to say thank you to the troops. Our very own Alice in Wonderland, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, the darling of the Tea Party and a possible contender for Office of the President in 2012, plans on introducing a bill to reduce Department of Vetern Affairs budget by 4.5 billion dollars. To do this she wants to: Cap increases in DVA health care spending. Reduce veterans disability compensation Off-set disability payments by the amount of compensation received in SS Disability Insurance payments. Guess she is tired to just paying lip service to the Veterans.
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Loaded up and ready to roll south http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj302/ThomWill/Ride%20to%20Kissimmee/100_0214.jpg Some late entries for the "big stuff" scavenger hunt... I think the Cow shot should be worth more because it is at DQ http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj302/ThomWill/Ride%20to%20Kissimmee/100_0218.jpg http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj302/ThomWill/Ride%20to%20Kissimmee/100_0227.jpg Had orders for Pecans so stopped a Priester's only to discover that they only have "specialty" pecans http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj302/ThomWill/Ride%20to%20Kissimmee/100_0221.jpg So had to stop at the "We're nuts" place to get some bags of "in the shell" pecans. http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj302/ThomWill/Ride%20to%20Kissimmee/100_0222.jpg Cool place, right in the middle of them old cotton fields back home. http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj302/ThomWill/Ride%20to%20Kissimmee/100_0224.jpg Stopped for the night in Tifton and parked the bike outside my "suite" at the Microtel... there goes "always garage kept" http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj302/ThomWill/Ride%20to%20Kissimmee/100_0228.jpg Veterans day dawned foggy in south GA, the sun and the fog made for some cool views. The trees in the fog reminded me of Snoopy behind enemy lines in the old Peanuts strip. http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj302/ThomWill/Ride%20to%20Kissimmee/100_0230.jpg http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj302/ThomWill/Ride%20to%20Kissimmee/100_0234.jpg http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj302/ThomWill/Ride%20to%20Kissimmee/100_0238.jpg Finally made it into the land of Spanish moss... Should have taken more pictures, but from here I really got wrapped up in riding each little town was either completely decked out for veteran's day, or not at all. Some had flags AND Christmas decorations up. Great ride. http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj302/ThomWill/Ride%20to%20Kissimmee/100_0239.jpg http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj302/ThomWill/Ride%20to%20Kissimmee/100_0241.jpg http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj302/ThomWill/Ride%20to%20Kissimmee/100_0242.jpg
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This is something local bikers do every year. We meet at a local Veterans Hall and ride to a cemetery in the next town that has a Veteran monument for a small service. Over 100 bikes. My bike and "ol lady" on the far right.
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I am sorry that I never had a chance to meet this HERO Pamela Murphy, widow of WWII hero and actor, Audie Murphy, died peacefully at her home on April 8, 2010. She was the widow of the most decorated WWII hero and actor, Audie Murphy, and established her own distinctive 35 year career working as a patient liaison at the Sepulveda Veterans Administration hospital, treating every veteran who visited the facility as if they were a VIP. Any soldier or Marine who came into the hospital got the same special treatment from her. She would walk the hallways with her clipboard in hand making sure her boys got to see the specialist they needed. If they didn't, watch out. Her boys weren't Medal of Honor recipients or movie stars like Audie, but that didn't matter to Pam. They had served their country. That was good enough for her. She never called a veteran by his first name. It was always "Mister." Respect came with the job. "Nobody could cut through VA red tape faster than Mrs. Murphy," said veteran Stephen Sherman, speaking for thousands of veterans she befriended over the years. "Many times I watched her march a veteran who had been waiting more than an hour right into the doctor's office. She was even reprimanded a few times, but it didn't matter to Mrs. Murphy. "Only her boys mattered. She was our angel." Audie Murphy died broke in a plane crash in 1971, squandering millions of dollars on gambling, bad investments, and yes, other women. "Even with the adultery and desertion at the end, he always remained my hero," Pam told me. She went from a comfortable ranch-style home in Van Nuys where she raised two sons to a small apartment - taking a clerk's job at the nearby VA to support herself and start paying off her faded movie star husband's debts. At first, no one knew who she was. Soon, though, word spread throughthe VA that the nice woman with the clipboard was Audie Murphy's widow. It was like saying General Patton had just walked in the front door. Men with tears in their eyes walked up to her and gave her a hug. "Thank you," they said, over and over. The first couple of years, I think the hugs were more for Audie's memory as a war hero. The last 30 years, they were for Pam. One year I asked her to be the focus of a Veteran's Day column for all the work she had done. Pam just shook her head no. "Honor them, not me," she said, pointing to a group of veterans down the hallway. "They're the ones who deserve it." The vets disagreed. Mrs. Murphy deserved the accolades, they said. Incredibly, in 2002, Pam's job was going to be eliminated in budget cuts. She was considered "excess staff." "I don't think helping cut down on veterans' complaints and showing them the respect they deserve, should be considered excess staff," she told me. Neither did the veterans. They went ballistic, holding a rally for her outside the VA gates. Pretty soon, word came down from the top of the VA. Pam Murphy was no longer considered "excess staff." She remained working full time at the VA until 2007 when she was 87. "The last time she was here was a couple of years ago for the conference we had for homeless veterans," said Becky James, coordinator of the VA's Veterans History Project. Pam wanted to see if there was anything she could do to help some more of her boys. Pam Murphy was 90 when she died last week. What a lady. l
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LZ Lambeau Weekend In May of 2010, Vietnam Veterans and their families are invited to a special Welcome Home celebration at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The big event will include several days of concerts and reunions, and exhibits including The Moving Wall™. During the showcase event at Lambeau Field on May 22 we will remember those who did not return from combat with music, readings, and a preview of the Wisconsin Public Television documentary, Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories. The intention of the event is to provide Vietnam veterans with the Welcome Home that which was denied them 40 years ago. In this effort, Wisconsin Public Television, the Wisconsin Historical Society, and the Department of Veterans Affairs became partners in the Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories Project. But for the effort to create the event called LZ Lambeau, the partners are joined by the Green Bay Packers, the City of Green Bay, the State of Wisconsin, several of Wisconsin's Indian Nations, and a growing group of veterans' organizations. Designed by the veterans and veterans service organizations, Wisconsin's Vietnam War veterans and Vietnam Era veterans, and all their families, are invited to a weekend of activities that will include a motorcycle ride across the state from La Crosse to Green Bay, concerts, The Moving Wall™ exhibit, Vietnam War military exhibits, photo exhibits, vehicle and helicopter displays, and social get-togethers. The Welcome Home Weekend will culminate with the veterans and their families filling Lambeau Field for an official Memorial Ceremony for their fallen colleagues. This presentation will feature music and spoken word performances, and screenings of excerpts from the Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories documentary on the Tundravision. A special outreach effort is underway to encourage the participation of the families of the more than 1,200 Wisconsinites who did not return from the war, and the families of those returned veterans who did not live long enough to be welcomed home. This event, certain to attract nation-wide attention, is a chance for our veterans to finally be able to take public pride in their service, and to receive the appreciation and recognition they deserve. For information check out the web site.. LZLambeau.org
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You're the best! Thanks for all you do. Please know that you are prayed over daily.
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I would like to wish all of our Veterans, a Happy Veterans day! Thank you for serving our great country, and thank you to everyone serving our country now. May the Lord Bless you All. God Bless America.
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My wife asks me, Why don't we see the red poppies around Veterans Day like we used to? Well??? I was a little embarrassed I did not know. Although I'm sure they are usually around on Memorial Day rather than Verterans Day. Here is what we found out. Thanks Margaret for asking! In Flanders Fields In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly. Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. This was the poem written by World War I Colonel John McCrae, a surgeon with Canada's First Brigade Artillery. It expressed McCrae's grief over the "row on row" of graves of soldiers who had died on Flanders' battlefields, located in a region of western Belgium and northern France. The poem presented a striking image of the bright red flowers blooming among the rows of white crosses and became a rallying cry to all who fought in the First World War. The first printed version of it reportedly was in December 1915, in the British magazine Punch. McCrae's poem had a huge impact on two women, Anna E. Guerin of France and Georgia native Moina Michael. Both worked hard to initiate the sale of artificial poppies to help orphans and others left destitute by the war. By 1920, when Guerin, with the help of the American Legion, established the first poppy sale in the U.S., the flower was well known in the allied countries — America, Britain, France, Canada, Australia and New Zealand — as the "Flower of Remembrance." Proceeds from that first sale went to the American and French Children's League. Guerin had troubles with the distribution of the poppies in early 1922 and sought out Michael for help. Michael had started a smaller-scaled Poppy Day during a YMCA conference she was attending in New York and wanted to use the poppies as a symbol of remembrance of the war. Guerin, called the "Poppy Lady of France" in her homeland, and Michael, later dubbed "The Poppy Princess" by the Georgia legislature, went to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) for help. The poppy was adopted as the official memorial flower of the VFW at its national convention in Seattle, Wash., in August 1922, following the first nationwide distribution of poppies ever conducted by any veterans organization. In 1923, faced by a shortage of poppies from French manufacturers, the VFW relied on New York florists to make up the difference. This was a huge setback, however, and led to the idea by VFW officials to use unemployed and disabled veterans to produce the artificial flower. This concept was approved in late 1923 and the first poppy factory was built in Pittsburgh, Pa., in 1924. This provided a practical means of assistance to veterans and also ensured a steady, reliable source of poppies. Veterans at Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities and veterans homes help assemble the poppies, and each year the VFW distributes roughly 14 million worldwide. It was around the same time the first poppy factory was built that the VFW registered the name "Buddy Poppy" with the U.S. Patent Office. The term "Buddy" was coined by the poppy makers as a tribute to their comrades who did not come home from the war or who were scarred and crippled for life. The VFW celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Buddy Poppy as its official flower in 1997. While profits from its sales have helped countless veterans and their widows, widowers and orphans over the years, the poppy itself survives as a perpetual tribute to those who have given their lives for the nation's freedom.
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Veterans , Now that's a trike!!!! This is an awesome paint job of a tribute to Vietnam Veterans. The bike is a Boss Hoss, and the company that makes them uses Chevy 502 cu in Big Block engine. http://webmail.aol.com/28878/aol-1/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=1.26197098&folder=NewMail&partId=5 http://webmail.aol.com/28878/aol-1/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=1.26197098&folder=NewMail&partId=6 http://webmail.aol.com/28878/aol-1/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=1.26197098&folder=NewMail&partId=7 http://webmail.aol.com/28878/aol-1/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=1.26197098&folder=NewMail&partId=8 http://webmail.aol.com/28878/aol-1/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=1.26197098&folder=NewMail&partId=9 http://webmail.aol.com/28878/aol-1/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=1.26197098&folder=NewMail&partId=11 http://webmail.aol.com/28878/aol-1/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=1.26197098&folder=NewMail&partId=12 http://webmail.aol.com/28878/aol-1/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=1.26197098&folder=NewMail&partId=13 http://webmail.aol.com/28878/aol-1/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=1.26197098&folder=NewMail&partId=14 http://webmail.aol.com/28878/aol-1/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=1.26197098&folder=NewMail&partId=15 http://webmail.aol.com/28878/aol-1/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=1.26197098&folder=NewMail&partId=17 http://webmail.aol.com/28878/aol-1/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=1.26197098&folder=NewMail&partId=18
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I know Veteran's Day isn't til next month (November), but wanted to put this info out there for some planning purposes. If anyone knows of other Veteran's Day / Military Appreciation specials that our veterans (self included) can partake of, post it up here. And, to make it Motorcycle related.... maybe you can manage to ride your ride to one of these events..... Eat Free at Applebee's - Wednesday Nov 11, 2009 Military veterans and active-duty servicemembers will be able to eat for free at any Applebee's across the U.S. on Veterans Day, Wed., Nov. 11, 2009. There will be six entr? from the menu to choose from. Guests will be asked to show one or more of the following as proof of service: a U.S. Uniform Services Identification Card, U.S. Uniform Services Retired Identification Card, Current Leave and Earnings Statement, Veterans Organization Card, a photograph in uniform, or wearing a uniform in person. For more information about Veterans Day at Applebee's, visit the Applebee's website at www.applebees.com/vetsday. A complete listing of all Applebee's locations is available at www.applebees.com. Eat Free at Golden Corral - Monday, Nov 16th, 2009 Golden Corral's 9th annual Military Appreciation Monday dinner will be held on Monday, November 16, 2009, from 5 to 9 pm in all Golden Corral restaurants nationwide. The free dinner meal is a special "thank you tribute" to any person who has ever served in the United States Military. If you are a veteran, retired, currently serving, in the National Guard or Reserves, you are invited to join us for Golden Corral's Military Appreciation Monday dinner. To date, Golden Corral restaurants have provided over 2.2 million free meals and contributed over $3.3 million to the Disabled American Veterans organization. To locate a Golden Corral near you, visit www.goldencorral.com/locator
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Here is something for all the Vets to watch, heck, evryone on this site should be outraged by it! Note that all this is with one person who never saw the memorial complaining! I guess its the US saying thanks for a job well done! [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeuBB_mOFIA]YouTube - Veterans Fight to Keep 75-yr. old Mojave Desert Memorial cross[/ame]
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NEW MEXICO VET TUITION: Military veterans and their families will be able to save a little money on college tuition or to attend a vocational school in the New Mexico, even if they don't live in the state. Senate Bill 136, which establishes in-state tuition rates for veterans, regardless of where they live, will go into effect on 1 AUG 09 just in time for the start of the 2010 school year. The legislation was approved by both the state Senate and House of Representatives by a combined vote of 104-0. For a copy of the bill refer to http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site557/2009/0421/20090421_111709_0422SB136.pdf. "Gov. Bill Richardson said, “I'm proud of this tremendous bipartisan effort from our state legislators. Signing this bill into law is a way of thanking our veterans for their service to our country, and thanking their families for their sacrifice when sending a spouse or parent to war." Raymond Harper, a retired Army veteran, said the new law will have an effect on soldiers' decisions of where they will retire. "A lot of active duty soldiers will probably consider something like this when they decide to get out," said Harper, who now lives in Oklahoma City, but was stationed for two years at White Sands Missile Range. "I left (New Mexico) because I was from Oklahoma and that's where I had to go to qualify for in-state tuition. I liked being in New Mexico and would've stayed there. But I knew I was going to go to college after I got out of the Army, and I would have had to then go through all that stuff of establishing residency in New Mexico to get their tuition." Any veteran of the U.S. armed forces will be able to pay the same tuition as people who have established residency in New Mexico. Tuition rates for in-state residents are notably less than what people who live outside of the state would pay. Tuition rates vary among state universities and trade schools. There are more than 100 certified institutions across the state where veterans will be able to use their federal G.I. education benefit. "This is a win-win situation," said state Veterans Affairs Secretary John Garcia. "Veterans and their dependents can attend our fine educational institutions, and the state can be the beneficiary of a G.I. benefit which could be worth up to $30,000 apiece, depending on where they choose to attend." Ray Seva, spokesman for the state Department of Veteran Affairs, said the intent of the bill was to help make New Mexico become a destination state for veterans who want to pursue higher education. There are about 180,000 veterans living in New Mexico of which 30,000 served in Iraq or Afghanistan. [source: Silver City Sun-News Steve Ramirez article 22 Apr 09 ++] RESERVE GI BILL Update 09: The Senate voted 31 MAR in favor of more GI Bill education benefits for National Guard and Reserve members — but that doesn’t mean benefits will increase. By voice vote and with no substantive debate, the Senate approved an amendment to the 2010 budget resolution that adds reserve education benefits to a list of other possible pay increases for service members, veterans and survivors that might be funded by a proposed deficit-neutral reserve fund. The budget plan, S. Con. Res. 13, also says that expanded benefits for disabled veterans in rural areas, as well as concurrent receipt of full military and veterans benefits for disabled retirees and the survivors of people who die of service-related causes, could be covered by the reserve fund. The catch is that the reserve fund does not exist, and there is no guarantee it would be created. Instead, its creation is proposed as a way to keep open the possibility of benefit improvements even when there is no money set aside for them in the Senate’s version of the 2010 budget. Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), chief sponsor of the GI Bill amendment, said she is trying to find a way to reset monthly education benefits for Guard and Reserve members because the value, compared to GI Bill benefits for active-duty members, has eroded since 1984, while reservists’ role in military operations has greatly expanded. “Selected Reserve GI Bill benefit rates are simply not reflective of the critical role Guard members and reservists play in today’s military,” she said, noting reserve benefits have increased just 3% a year since the 2001 terrorist attacks. In 1984, when the Montgomery GI Bill was established as the post-Cold War veterans’ benefits plan, Guard and Reserve members received monthly benefits that were 48% of the active-duty rate. Today, Guard and Reserve members using the Montgomery GI Bill receive a maximum monthly benefit of $329, about 25% of the $1,321 a month paid to those with three or more years of active service. The disparity will soon become larger, with active-duty members and veterans of active duty due to get a big boost 1 AUG when the Post-9/11 GI Bill takes effect. The new GI Bill promises to cover full tuition plus offer stipends for living expenses and books that should fully cover the cost of attending a four-year public college or university at in-state rates. Guard and Reserve members are covered by the new program if they have been mobilized for 90 days or more since the 2001 terrorists’ attacks, but benefits are prorated based on the amount of service. Full benefits are available only for those who have three or more years of service, or were forced to leave the military because of a service-connected disability, if they are full-time students. Reduced benefits for the Guard and Reserve “sends a very poor message,” Lincoln said. “The rising price of higher education increases, the interest rates on student loans, and the limited earnings ability of those with only high school credentials make educational benefits a primary means of investing in our future,” Lincoln said. “We want to encourage our Selected Reservists to really take advantage of educational opportunities to further their positions in the Guard and Reserve and to ... further their positions in business, in industry and where they are going to be working in our communities.” By getting the amendment approved, Lincoln may have the chance to offer an amendment later this year to other veterans or defense legislation to increase GI Bill payments and be able to say there is money available to cover the costs if the Senate Budget Committee creates a reserve fund with money that is not spent on other benefits. [source: NavyTimes rick Maze article 1 Apr 09 ++] GULF WAR SYNDROME Update 08: A new study of veterans of the 1991 Gulf War suggests that exposure to neurotoxins such as anti-nerve agent pills, insect repellent and Sarin caused neurological changes to the brain. However, brain imaging shows those changes appear to differ depending on what and how much each person was exposed to. The changes also correspond to different sets of symptoms. Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Southern Methodist University, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Dallas performed digital brain scans on 21 chronically ill Gulf War veterans from the same Naval Reserve construction battalion, all of whom had symptoms of “Gulf War syndrome.” According to a study published in Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging Journal, previous studies defined three categories of symptoms associated with Gulf War veterans. The three complexes suggest "an overall syndrome with variants," according to the researchers. But they also found the variants depended on what the vets had been exposed to: • Complex 1: mild cognitive problems, such as distractibility, forgetfulness, feeling depressed, and excessive daytime sleepiness. [Associated with troops who had worn flea collars to ward off sand fleas]. • Complex 2: a more debilitating state with confusion and a gross lack of muscle coordination. [Associated with low-level Sarin exposure and anti-nerve agent pills]. • Complex 3: continuous joint and muscle aching. [Associated with insect repellent and anti-nerve agent pills]. In new study, researchers wanted to see how brain blood flow in the veterans changed if they were exposed to a cholinesterase-inhibiting chemical. All the Gulf War exposures (insect repellent, anti-nerve agent pills (pyridostigmine) and Sarin) are such cholinesterase-inhibiting chemicals, and the researchers wanted to see if the previous exposure permanently damaged the way the brain works. Previous studies also had found that some people are genetically less able to process such chemicals out of their bodies, which could explain why some troops exposed to the same chemicals have no symptoms. Research has shown that vets exposed to Sarin gas had a lower volume of white matter than people who had not been exposed, and that their fine motor skills were comparable to someone 10 years older than the exposed veterans. The new study, which the researchers were quick to point out was small, included 11 men with Complex 2 symptoms, five with Complex 1 symptoms, and five with Complex 3 symptoms. For the study, they injected each veteran with saline solution through an IV, then performed a digital brain scan to check cerebral blood flow. Two days later, they used an IV to send 2 milligrams of physostigmine, another cholinesterase-inhibiting chemical, into their systems. Robert Haley, lead researcher on the study, wrote that they expected the brain activity of the exposed veterans to respond differently to the chemical than a control group of civilians did, and they were correct. But they were surprised that the veterans’ brains responded differently to the saline, as well as to the physostigmine, based on which symptom complex they fell into. They differed significantly on baseline blood flow after the saline, with the Complex 2 group having significantly less than the control group. But after the injection of physostigmine, both the Complex 1 and 3 groups had a slight reduction in blood flow in some regions of the brain, while the Complex 2 group had an increase. There were differences in the areas of the deep brain where the researchers saw reductions of blood flow based on which group they were looking at. The findings seem consistent with the “impaired cognition, attention deficits, reduced intellectual functioning, audiovestibular dysfunction and emotional changes” in Complex 1 and 2 veterans, versus the “primary pain and sensory dysfunction” of Complex 3 veterans, the study states. The Complex 2 patterns were similar to those found in Alzheimer’s disease, but were obviously not the same because of the pattern of the symptoms, they wrote. “Our findings further suggest that milder-symptom Complexes 1 and 3 involve different neuropathologic mechanisms from those underlying the more severe-symptom Complex 2,” the study states. “This condition might be appropriately referred to as an encephalopathy — a term for any diffuse disease of the brain that alters brain function or structure.” They said the brain scans could provide an “objective diagnostic test” for war-related chronic encephalopathic illnesses. [source: ArmyTimes Kelly Kennedy article 1 Apr 09 ++]
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Right this instant, I cannot put into words the fury I feel. My other thread is seeking info. on a VA health benefit question. I was doing some additional searching when I came upon this! It infuriates me to even think about it. I will paste the 1st sentence of an article from the CNN.com website and you judge for your self! WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki confirmed Tuesday that the Obama administration is considering a controversial plan to make veterans pay for treatment of service-related injuries with private insurance. It is one thing to have disdain for our military. It is something else to be SO callous and demeaning as to even allow a milisecond of thought to occur where this "plan" would even remotely be considered! It does not matter in the least, that this "plan" probably would get shot down before it left the hanger. What matters is that it was considered at ALL!! How dare they! There is NO reasonable explanation acceptable for such an overt slap in the face of our brave servicemen and women. I am in tears as I write this. HOW can this come from any commander in chief of this country??? HOW? Don, do whatever you have to do. delete it, delete me. Whatever! We have veterans here and some of those have family (veterans) serving. They deserve to know!
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