* Erie VA Town Hall Meetings: The Erie VA Medical Center is having a Meet and Greet Town hall meeting Tuesday, it will be held in the 2nd floor conference rooms. Times are 2pm till 3pm and 5:30pm till 6:30pm. Meet the newly appointed Erie VA Director John Gennaro. This meeting is open to All Veterans and family members.
* The Pennsylvania, VFW State Convention is over. Nominations, elections and officers installed, and the results are: Pennsylvania VFW State Commander Thomas A. Brown; Sr. Vice Commander Dwight A. Furman; Jr. Vice Commander Thomas (ACE) Hanzes; State Chaplain Reelected Peter Hook; State Quartermaster Reelected John B. Getz; Chief of Staff Cecil Dennis. The Auxiliary also had its elections and the results are: President Donna K. Mills; Sr. Vice Kelley Lepak; Jr. Vice Charlotte Lopes; Chaplain Sandra Wilder; Sec/Tres. Jodie Hollinger; Conductress Wendi Hennemann; Guard Pamela Sopher.
* Tell Your Members of Congress to Improve VA Health Care: * Politicians, pundits and politically-motivated organizations are using the national crisis in access to care at the Department of Veterans Affairs as justification to dismantle and privatize the VA health care system, with some even proposing that veterans be charged for their service-connected care. The VFW says no! Contact your members of Congress and let them know that VA health care reform must be based on the needs and preferences of veterans, not political rhetoric.
* Women Veterans Sought for Registry: The Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation is reaching out to the public to raise awareness and support for its memorial, education center and registry. Its 33,000-square-foot building opened in 1997 at the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery. Its mission is to recognize all women who served in the armed forces. It is the only major national memorial to honor all of our nation’s 3 million service women, yet its registry only lists less than 10 percent of those who have served or are serving. Register at: www.womensmemorial.org.
* MIA Update: The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced burial updates and the identification of remains of six soldiers and two Marines who had been missing in action from World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Returning home for burial with full military honors are: * Army Sgt. 1st Class Alan L. Boyer, 22, of Chicago, will be buried June 22 in Arlington National Cemetery. On March 28, 1968, Boyer was a member of an 11-man reconnaissance team on a classified mission inside Laos when they were attacked by enemy forces and requested emergency extraction. The Air Force CH-3 extraction helicopter came under heavy fire, and after recovering seven team members, began pulling away. Boyer was reportedly climbing the rope ladder when it broke. A search team was inserted into the area four days later but found no evidence of Boyer or the three other team members. * Marine Pvt. Palmer S. Haraldson, 31, of Lincoln, Neb., will be buried June 22 in Fort Dodge, Iowa. In November 1943, Haraldson was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands. Haraldson reportedly died on the third day of the battle, Nov. 22, 1943. * Army Master Sgt. Richard Davis, 30, of Black Lick, Pa., will be buried June 24 in Blairsville, Pa. In early November 1950, Davis was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, deployed near Unsan, North Korea, when it was engaged by an overwhelming number of Chinese forces. Davis was reported missing in action as a result of the battle on Nov. 2, 1950. * Army Cpl. Charles B. Crofts, is scheduled to be buried July 9 in Shelley, Idaho. In late November 1950, Crofts was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, deployed east of the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea when it was engaged by an overwhelming number of Chinese forces. Crofts was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950. * Army Cpl. Frederick G. Collins Jr., from California, died in a Japanese POW camp in the Philippines on Nov. 19, 1942. He was assigned to the 263rd Quartermaster Company, Quartermaster Corps. Burial details to come. * Marine Pfc. Roland E. Schaede, 22, of Maywood, Ill. In November 1943, Schaede was assigned to Company M, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands. Schaede reportedly died on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943. Burial details to come. * Army Pfc. William R. Butz, of Clark County, Wash., died fighting in North Korea on Dec. 12, 1950. He was assigned to Company K, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. Burial details to come. * Army Sgt. Harold L. Curtis, died fighting in North Korea on Dec. 12, 1950. He was assigned to Company I, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division.
Till next week, praying for all service members.
– Charles Castelluccio
