The House passed 19 veteran bills, including nine supported by the VFW. H.R. 2724, H.R. 5738, H.R. 5754, H.R. 6052, H.R. 6064, and H.R. 6604, now head to the Senate. One of the advanced bills –– H.R. 5754, Patient Advocate Tracker Act –– stemmed from a proposal by 2021 VFW-SVA Legislative Fellow Cameron Zbikowski. Previously passed by the Senate, S. 2102, S. 2533, and S. 2687 now head to the president’s desk for signature.
New Action Alert
Contact your senators and tell them to vote “yes” when the Honoring our PACT Act is brought to the Senate floor. Toxic-exposed veterans cannot afford to wait any longer for health care and benefits. We must act now!
Pass the PACT Act Rally DC
On Saturday, May 28, at 1:00 p.m. EDT, veteran advocate Jon Stewart, VFW National Commander Matthew “Fritz” Mihelcic, and a coalition of veteran organizations held a “Pass the PACT Act Rally DC” at the Rolling to Remember demonstration to highlight the urgent need for the Senate to pass the Honoring Our PACT Act.
POW/MIA Update
Army Pfc. Merl W. Holm, 22, of Lake City, Iowa, was assigned to Company K, 3rd Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division. On Nov. 26, 1942, he was reportedly killed. Holm was posthumously awarded the Silver Star. He will be buried in his hometown on July 9, 2022.
Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Adolph “Leonard” Olenik, 19, of Detroit, was assigned to the 345th Bombardment Squadron, 98th Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on a date yet to be determined.
Marine Reserve Cpl. Jack S. Brown, 22, was a member of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, which was part of the invasion force of the island of Saipan in a larger operation to secure the Mariana Islands. Following the war, his remains were declared non-recoverable. Interment services are pending.
Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. William O. Wood, 25, was assigned to 328th Bombardment Squadron, 93rd Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force. Interment services are pending.
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. David M. Lewis, 20, was assigned to 345th Bombardment Squadron, 98th Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force. Interment services are pending.
Navy Seamen 1st Class John R. Melton, 23, of Liberty, Mississippi, was assigned to the Battleship USS West Virginia, which was moored at Ford Island Pearl Harbor. He will be buried in Glister, Mississippi, on July 9, 2022.
Army Cpl. Lawrence L. Brown, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was assigned to Company M, 3rd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was captured by the Chinese People’s Volunteers Forces and died in POW camp # 5. He will be buried in Prairieville, Louisiana, on a date to be determined.
Till next week, praying for all service members.
– Charles Castelluccio
