The new appointees will provide unique insight as VA strives to gauge the evolving needs of women Veterans. The new members are: Lisa Kirk Brown. of Bellingham, Washington, retired Maryland Air National Guard Lieutenant Colonel; Kate Germano of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel; Karen O’Brien of University Place, Washington, retired U.S. Army Colonel; Betty Yarbrough, of Springfield, Virginia, retired U.S. Army Colonel. Committee members Octavia Harris, retired Command Master Chief Petty Officer from San Antonio, and Sharon McLaughlin, Esq., Massachusetts National Guard major, have been reappointed for an additional term.
New Congress Starts by Passing Vets Bills
Last week, shortly after the opening of the 115th Congress, the House of Representatives passed its first two pieces of legislation, H.R. 27 and H.R. 28 – both veterans bills. H.R. 27, the Ensuring VA Employee Accountability Act will require that a copy of reprimands or admonishments are retained in a VA employee’s permanent record. H.R. 28, the Biological Implant Tracking and Veteran Safety Act of 2017, directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to adopt and implement a standard identification protocol for use in the tracking and procurement of biological implants. Both bills will need to pass the Senate before becoming law. Last Wednesday, the House passed H.J. Res. 3, which approves the selection of a location for a memorial to commemorate and honor the members of the Armed Forces who served on active duty in support of Operation Desert Storm or Operation Desert Shield. H.J. Res. 3 moves the VFW closer to fulfilling VFW Resolution 305, which was passed at our 115th National Convention. The Senate must also pass this resolution before final approval by the president.
VFW National Home Helps Military and Veteran Families
For more than 92 years, the VFW National Home for Children has offered families the chance to heal and grow. A family may live in the National Home’s community for up to four years, during which time they are provided a full system of support and services. The National Home is open to families of active-duty military personnel, veterans and descendants of members of the VFW and the Auxiliary. For more information, contact the Military & Veteran Family Helpline at (800) 313-4200 or visit the National Home’s website at www.vfwnationalhome.org.
POW/MIA Update
* Navy Water Tender 1st Class Walter H. Sollie, 37, of Myrtlewood, Alabama, was buried Jan. 6, 2017, in Pensacola, Fla. Sollie was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored off Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when Japanese aircraft attacked his ship on Dec. 7, 1941.
* Army Maj. Jack D. Griffiths, 31, of San Diego, will be buried Jan. 11, 2017, in San Diego. On Nov. 30, 1950, Griffiths was a member of Headquarters, 38th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, when he was reported missing in action in the vicinity of Somin-dong, North Korea.
* Mr. John D. Armstrong, a former U.S. Navy Reservist, was training with the Flying Tigers at Kyedaw Airfield, a British Royal Air Force airfield outside of Toungoo, Burma, in 1941. Armstrong was killed in a midair collision during a training flight on Sept. 8, 1941. Interment services are pending.
* Mr. Maxx C. Hammer, Jr., was among a small group of American pilots training with the Flying Tigers to battle Japanese forces invading China in 1941. Hammer was killed during a training mission on Sep. 22, 1941, when his plane crashed near Toungoo, Burma. Interment services are pending.
* Mr. Peter Atkinson, a former U.S. Army Air Corps Reservist, was among a small group of American pilots training with the Flying Tigers at Kyedaw Airfield, outside of Toungoo, Burma, in 1941. In preparation for battling Japanese forces invading China, the pilots engaged their Curtiss P-40 single-seat aircraft in aggressive training and mock battles. Interment services are pending.
* Navy Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class Cecil E. Barncord, of Kansas, was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored off Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when Japanese aircraft attacked his ship on Dec. 7, 1941. Interment services are pending.
* Navy Radioman 3rd Class Howard W. Bean, of Massachusetts, was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored off Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when Japanese aircraft attacked his ship on Dec. 7, 1941. Interment services are pending.
* Navy Mess Attendant 1st Class Ralph M. Boudreaux, of Louisiana, was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored off Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when Japanese aircraft attacked his ship on Dec. 7, 1941. Interment services are pending.
* Navy Fireman 3rd Class Glaydon I.C. Iverson, of Minnesota, was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored off Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when Japanese aircraft attacked his ship on Dec. 7, 1941. Interment services are pending.
* Navy Coxswain Verne F. Knipp, of Colorado, was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored off Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when Japanese aircraft attacked his ship on Dec. 7, 1941.Interment services are pending.
* Navy Fire Controlman 2nd Class Donald R. McCloud, of West Virginia, was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored off Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when Japanese aircraft attacked his ship on Dec. 7, 1941. McCloud was one of 429 crewmen killed in the attack. Interment services are pending.
* Navy Seaman 1st Class Camillus M. O’Grady, of Kansas, was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored off Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when Japanese aircraft attacked his ship on Dec. 7, 1941. Interment services are pending.
* Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Francis J. Pitonyak, of Pennsylvania, disappeared while leading a four-ship of fighter aircraft on an armed patrol mission. Enroute to Nadzab, Territory of Papua, the pilots encountered inclement weather, causing one pilot to return to base, where he reported his fellow pilots, including Pitonyak, missing. After an unsuccessful aerial search the following day, Pitonyak was declared deceased on Oct. 28, 1943. Interment services are pending.
* Army Pvt. Gene J. Appleby, of Ohio, was a member of Company A, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment. On Sep. 17, 1944, Appleby parachuted onto a drop zone north of Groesbeek, the Netherlands, as part of Operation Market-Garden. Interment services are pending.
* Army Cpl. Luis P. Torres, of Waushura, Wis., was stationed with Company C, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division along the east bank of the Naktong River. Interment services are pending.
* Army Pfc. Thomas C. Stagg, of Jefferson, Ala., was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment. On Nov. 29, 1950. Interment services are pending.
* Army Pfc. Charles C. Follese, of Koochiching, Minn., was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment. On Nov. 30, 1950. Follese could not be accounted for after the ambush and was declared killed in action. Interment services are pending.
*Army Sgt. 1st Class Eugene J. Colley, of New Hanover, N.C., was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. In late November 1950. Colley was declared missing on Dec. 2, 1950. Interment services are pending.
* Army Sgt. Thomas E. Zimmer, of Milwaukee, Wis., was stationed with Battery A, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 31st Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division. Zimmer was unaccounted for after the battle and was reported missing as of Dec. 6, 1950. Interment services are pending.
* Army Sgt. Edward Saunders, of Baltimore City, Md., was assigned to Company K, 3rd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. Saunders could not be accounted for after the battle. Interment services are pending.
* Army Cpl. Joseph N. Pelletier, of Coos County, N.H., was assigned to Headquarters Battery, 15th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, near the Central Corridor in South Korea. Pelletier was declared missing on Feb. 13, 1951. Interment services are pending.
Till next week, praying for all service members.
– By Charles Castelluccio
