Many veterans have reached out to the VFW regarding the Camp LeJeune provision (Section 804) of the recently passed PACT Act. Please be advised that there is an offset of VA disability benefits with any settlement that may be received through a lawsuit. Veterans are encouraged NOT to sign any contracts to participate in lawsuits until VA clarifies how the settlements will affect service-connected benefits and care. VA regulations on this are expected in the coming months. For clarification on the impact to your current or future VA benefits, contact an accredited Veterans Service Officer near you.
DOD Next Gen USID Cards & TSA Usage
Identification cards for service members, retirees, and their dependents have changed to the Next Generation Uniform Service Identification (USID) cards and are being issued now. Those whose cards do not have an expiration date will need to upgrade within the next four years. The USID cards provide enhanced security features that include compatibility with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints in all U.S. airports as a REAL ID, and free TSA PreCheck availability for currently serving service members and DOD civilians. If you or your dependents have not been issued the new Next Gen USID cards, schedule your appointment today.
POW/MIA Update
Army Pvt. Felix M. Yanez, 19, of Douglas, Arizona, was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was killed in action on July 16, 1950, while fighting the North Korean People’s Army along the Kum River, north of Taejon, South Korea. He will be buried in Tucson, Arizona, on Sep. 3, 2022.
Army Air Forces Sgt. Herald R. Boyd, 25, Granger, Texas, was assigned to 350th Bombardment Squadron, 100th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force. On Feb. 3, 1945, the B-17G Flying Fortress bomber on which Boyd was serving as a gunner crashed when it was struck by a ground rocket during a bombing mission in Berlin. He will be buried in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Sep. 17, 2022.
Navy Seaman 2nd Class John G. Bock, Jr., 18, of St. Louis, was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft on Dec. 7, 1941. He will be buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) in Honolulu on Sep. 27, 2022.
Navy Fireman 2nd Class Edward E. Casinger, 21, of Senath, Missouri, was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft on Dec. 7, 1941. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on Nov. 19, 2022.
Navy Shipfitter 2nd Class Claude R. Garcia, 25, of Ventura, California, was assigned to the battleship USS West Virginia, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft on Dec. 7, 1941. He will be buried in his hometown on a date yet to be determined.
Army Air Forces Sgt. Elvin L. Phillips, 23, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was assigned to 66th Bombardment Squadron, 44th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator aircraft on which Phillips was serving as gunner crashed as a result of anti-aircraft fire during Operation Tidal Wave. He will be buried in Bluffdale, Utah, on a date yet to be determined.
Army Cpl. George T. Grimes, 19, was assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He went missing in action July 16, 1950, while fighting the North Korean People’s Army along the Kum River, north of Taejon, South Korea. Interment services are pending.
Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Roy C. Harms, 26, was assigned to 329th Bombardment Squadron, 93rd Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator aircraft he was piloting crashed as a result of anti-aircraft fire during Operation Tidal Wave. Interment services are pending.
Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Walter Nies, 23, was assigned to 96th Bombardment Squadron, 2nd Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force. On Jan. 24, 1944, the B-17F Flying Fortress bomber on which he was serving as a tail gunner was shot down by enemy fighters. The crew was captured by Germans, and Nies was among those sent to Stalag Luft 6 prisoner of war camp. Interment services are pending.
Army Pvt. David S. Whipple, 23, was assigned to the 27th Materiel Squadron, 20th Air Base Group in the Philippines, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December 1941. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March. Interment services are pending.
Army Cpl. David N. Defibaugh, 18, was assigned to C Company, 3rd Engineer Combat Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. He went missing in action July 20, 1950, near the vicinity of Taejon, South Korea. The Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953. Interment services are pending.
Till next week, praying for all veterans.
– Charles Castelluccio
