Saturday, Dec. 17, is National Wreaths Across America. Wreaths will be placed at over 2,500 locations to honor fallen veterans. Any one that wants to help place wreaths at the Erie Solders And Sailors Home, at 560 E 3rd Street in Erie, are asked to be there by 11:30 a.m. Park in the front parking lot. The ceremony will start at noon in the back of the home where the cemetery is located.
House Hearing on Pact Act Implication
VFW National Legislative Assistant Director Kristina Keenan provided a statement for the record for a House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing on VA’s implementation of the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022. She included observations made by VFW Service Officers who have been assisting veterans with their VA disability claims for toxic exposure conditions. “About one third reported that they have already seen PACT-Act-related claims adjudicated and some being granted by VA, primarily for Vietnam War veterans with hypertension and for those who served in Thailand,” said Keenan. She added that while VA has reported a large increase in claims since the passage of the PACT Act, VA is also processing claims faster, at nearly the same rate as the increase. She stated that the VFW recommends that VA maintains its overtime staffing in order to continue managing the increased claims workload.
Exposure Registry for Hawaii Red Hill Water Contamination
DOD has created an exposure registry for service members, their families, and all residents affected by the Navy Water Distribution System in and around Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to include the recent water contamination from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. Individuals are encouraged to call (800) 984-8523 to join the Oahu Military Water Contamination Incident Report Registry. Service members should also ensure their exposure is documented in their medical records. All affected personnel are encouraged to request toxic exposure screenings from their primary care providers.
Donate Blood this Holiday Season
The American Red Cross is asking those who can to give with meaning this holiday season. Your blood donations or humanitarian support are needed. Please schedule an appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, or calling (800) RED-CROSS.
POW/MIA Update
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Theodore F. Scarborough, 21, of Brooklyn, Mississippi, was assigned to the 345th Bombardment Squadron, 98th Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator aircraft on which Scarborough was serving as bombardier crashed as a result of anti-aircraft fire during Operation Tidal Wave. He will be buried in his hometown on April 21, 2023.
Army Air Forces Pvt. Joseph E. Lescaut, 21, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, was assigned to the 16th Bombardment Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands. Lescaut will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on a date yet to be determined.
Army Pfc. Arthur L. Pierce, 26, of Malden, Massachusetts, was assigned to the 803rd Engineer Battalion in the Philippines, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December 1941. He will be buried in Augusta, Maine, on a date yet to be determined.
Army Pfc. Dale D. Thompson, 18, was assigned to the Heavy Mortar Company, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, during a battle with enemy forces near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Interment services are pending.
Till next week, praying for all service members.
– Charles Castelluccio
