The Pennsylvania VFW 28th District & Auxiliary will hold their district meetings on Sunday, May 6, at Hermitage VFW Post 6166. The district meetings will start at 2 p.m. Members in good standing are encouraged to attend. Their will be nominations and elections of district officers. The post is located at 5550 E. State St., Hermitage, Pa. 16148.
Important Dates in May
May is National Military Appreciation Month.
May 1 is Loyalty Day, a day set aside for American citizens to reaffirm their loyalty to the United States and to recognize the heritage of American freedom. It is also Silver Star Service Banner Day, a day set aside to honor our wounded, ill, and dying military personnel by participating in flying a Silver Banner.
May 3 is National Day of Prayer.
May 8 is VE Day (Victory in Europe).
May 11 is Military Spouse Appreciation Day.
May 13 is Children of Fallen Patriots Day and Mothers Day.
May 20 is Armed Forces Day.
May 28 is Memorial Day.
Erie VA to Host Baby Shower for New Veteran Parents and Parents-To-Be
Veterans, are you a new parent or a parent to be? If so, the VA wants to celebrate with you and your significant other at the Erie VAMC Baby Shower event, open for any new parents-to-be and/or parents who have had a baby in 2018. This event will be held from 2-3:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 8 at the Erie VA VAMC 2nd floor conference room. RSVPs are requested. Call the Maternity Care Coordinator at (814) 860-2146 or the Women Veterans Program Manager at (814) 860-2907 as soon as possible.
Protecting Veterans Against Fraud
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the AARP Fraud Watch Network recently launched Operation Protect Veterans, a nationwide campaign to warn our military and veterans about scams and fraud schemes that target them. A recent survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago showed that 16 percent of U.S. veterans have lost money to fraudsters, compared to 8 percent of non-veterans. More worrisome is 80 percent of respondents reported being targeted by scams directly related to their military service or the veterans’ benefits they receive. A major component of the Operation Protect Veterans campaign includes distributing printed brochures at more than 37,000 post offices to warn veterans about the scams. These brochures will also be available at the VFW National Convention in Kansas City, Mo., this July. Telephone scammers are out their. When answering your phone do not say yes, to any thing.
POW/MIA Update
Navy Fireman 2nd Class John D. Wheeler, a WWII veteran, 26, of Gaither, Ark., whose identification was previously announced, was buried April 28 in Harrison, Ark. Wheeler was one of 429 crewmen killed in the Pearl Harbor attack.
Navy Reserve Lt. William Q. Punnell, a WWII veteran, 27, of Flandreau, S.D., whose identification was previously announced, will be buried May 2 in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C.
Navy Aviation Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Durell Wade, a WWII veteran, was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored off Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. Interment services are pending.
Navy Water Tender 1st Class Stephen Pepe, a WWII veteran, was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored off Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. Interment services are pending.
Till next week, praying for all service members.
– By Charles Castelluccio
