On the 81st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the VFW solemnly honors the men and women who died in the devastating attack on Dec. 7, 1941. VFW National Commander Timothy Borland, along with VFW Auxiliary National President Jane Reape, will be at Pearl Harbor on Wednesday to attend a remembrance ceremony for the 2,008 sailors, 109 Marines, 218 soldiers, and 68 civilians tragically lost without warning. We ask every American to take a moment to remember and pay respects to these patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice.
VFW Launches PACT Act Assistance Website
The VFW is pleased to announce the launch of a new website to inform veterans about the benefits for which they may qualify under the PACT Act. The new site, www.PACTActInfo.org, allows veterans to enter certain military service details and medical information to determine eligibility for compensation benefits on a presumptive basis as a result of exposure to toxins. The site will then provide referrals to VFW Service Officers in their state of residence to assist with their claims. The site also warns veterans about claim sharks and non-accredited entities that may try to exploit them for financial gain.
TRICARE Open Season Closes Dec. 13
This is the last week for beneficiaries to enroll in or change their health care, dental, and vision coverage. Any changes will go into effect Jan. 1, 2023. If you are satisfied with your current plan then your coverage will continue automatically for 2023, as long as you remain eligible. Beneficiaries should verify their information is up to date and those making benefit changes need to set up an allotment with their regional contractors for enrollment coverage to begin Jan. 1, 2023. Individuals who do not set up their allotment by the deadline will be unenrolled due to nonpayment.
POW/MIA Update
Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Walter Nies, 23, of Eureka, South Dakota, 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. He will be buried in his hometown on Dec. 9, 2022.
Army Pfc. Robert A. Wright, 18, of Whitesville, Kentucky, was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing 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 his hometown on Dec. 10, 2022.
Army Cpl. Joseph H. Gunnoe, 21, of Charleston, West Virginia, was assigned to Company G, 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. On Nov. 6, 1944, he was likely killed as his unit was driven from Vossenack, Germany, in the Hürtgen Forest. He will be buried in his hometown on Dec. 14, 2022.
Army Sgt. Allen H. Tuttle, 23, of Tacoma, Washington, was assigned to Battery C, 38th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, 8th U.S. Army. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, after his unit’s attempted withdrawal from Kunu-ri, North Korea, following the battle of Ch’ongch’on. Tuttle, died at POW Camp #5 in March 1951. He will be buried in Bellevue, Washington, on Dec. 16, 2022.
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Wayne L. Dyer, 22, of Hobart, Oklahoma, was assigned to the 569th Bombardment Squadron, 8th Air Force. On May 29, 1944, the B-17G Flying Fortress bomber on which Dyer was serving as the navigator was shot down by enemy fighters northeast of Leipzig, Germany. He will be buried in Killeen, Texas, on a date yet to be determined.
Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. John M. Carroll, 32, of New York City, New York, was assigned to 328th Bombardment Squadron. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator aircraft on which Carroll was the radio operator was shot down. He will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, on a date yet to be determined.
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. William Scott, 21, was assigned to 68th Bombardment Squadron, 44th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator aircraft on which Scott was the navigator was shot down. Interment services are pending.
Till next week, praying for all service members.
– Charles Castelluccio
