The Corona Virus, has effected every one. Especially donations that are given to the Erie VA Medical Center that come from the various organizations around the community. The units that are in need of donations are: Community Living Center, Homeless Veterans Program, Behavioral Health Program, Women Veterans program, Psychosocial Resident Rehabilitation Treatment Program, Surgical Clinic, Primary Care, Medical Social Work, and Chaplain. Write where you wish your donation to go to in the memo of your check. Donations can be sent to: Erie VA Medical Center, ATTN Voluntary Service, 135 East 38th St., Erie, Pa. 16504. For more information, call Voluntary Service at (814) 860-2054 or (814) 860-2024. There are many needs and it would take two pages to show them all.
Congress Listens and Keeps Agent Orange Provisions in NDAA
The Senate passed the final version of the NDAA, which included the Agent Orange presumptive conditions already passed by the House. It now heads to the president for his signature. The VFW wishes to thank our members and advocates who responded to the VFW Action Alert last month and contacted their members of Congress regarding this very important provision. “The VFW commends the Senate and House Armed Services Committees conferees of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA) for including Senate Amendment 1972 in the final version of the bill. We thank Senator Tester for introducing this important amendment which will finally add bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and parkinsonism to the list of Department of Veterans Affairs presumptive conditions for herbicide exposure,” said VFW National Commander Hal Roesch. “We urge President Trump to sign the NDAA into law and provide our Vietnam veterans the long-awaited care and benefits they deserve.”
Congress Passes Significant Veterans’ Legislation Package
On Wednesday, the House passed its final vote on passage of H.R. 7105, Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D., Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020, which passed the Senate earlier this month and now heads to the president for his signature. This legislation includes several VFW-supported bills that were pending in the 116th Congress. Most notablyis the Deborah Sampson Act, which would break the cultural barriers impacting women veterans by requiring VA to address privacy concerns and improve access; expand the amount of time new mothers are given to find health care coverage for their newborns; increase staff cultural competency; eliminate harassment and assault; and make other much-needed improvements to women veterans’ health care. This forward-looking focus legislation would also examine outcomes to women veterans’ services by requiring studies and reports on barriers to receipt of care, gap analysis on services for homeless women veterans, the availability of prosthetics for women, and other topics. The bill would require VA to make Disability Benefits Questionnaires available for public use, again. It would lower the age from 57 to 55 to remarry without incurring penalties for surviving spouses receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. It would modernize the Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance (SDVI) program. The bill would require VA to study incidents of cancer and other illnesses experienced by service members who served at the Karshi-Khanabad (K2) Air Base in Uzbekistan between Oct. 1, 2001, and Sept. 30, 2005. It would change the statutory definition of Vietnam veteran to include individuals who served in the Republic of Vietnam from Nov. 1, 1955, to Feb. 27, 1961. It would increase certain veteran funeral benefits and authorize VA to add spouses and eligible dependent children to VA-furnished headstones. The bill would increase from $5 million to $10 million the maximum amount VA may grant in a fiscal year to states and tribal organizations for maintaining veterans’ cemeteries. The bill would call for the elimination of the 12-year limit on using Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) benefits. It would require VA to create a database on its website to explain public institution requirements for in-state tuition. It would expand benefits and services for homeless veterans. The bill would create certain education, employment, and housing protections for veterans impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The passage of this veterans’ legislation package satisfies a number of VFW resolutions and legislative priorities regarding women veterans’ health care, disability assistance and memorial affairs, and economic opportunity issues.
VA Launches New Single Access Phone Number
VA announced a new phone number to access all VA services. The number, (800) MyVA411 or (800) 698-2411, is available 24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year, to serve veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors. Callers have the option of pressing 0 immediately to be connected with a customer service agent. The Veterans Crisis Line, (800) 273-8255, and the White House VA Hotline, (855) 948-2311, will still be available at their current numbers.
POW/MIA Update
U.S. Navy Fireman 1st Class Paul E. Saylor, 21, was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. Interment services are pending.
Army Pvt. Hillary Soileau, 23, was a member of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, when American forces went on the offensive to clear Guadalcanal of Japanese Forces. Soileau was officially declared killed in action on Dec. 13, 1945. Interment services are pending.
Navy Seaman 2nd Class Charles A. Jones, 21, of Harvard, Nebraska, was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. Jones will be buried in his hometown. The date is yet to be determined.
Marine Corps Cpl. Elmer E. Drefahl, 22, of Milwaukee, was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. The date and location for Drefahl’s burial have yet to be determined by the family.
Army Sgt. Billy V. Rodgers, 19, was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 31st Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Rodgers will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. The date has yet to be determined.
To all, have a merry Christmas.
– Charles Castelluccio
