Last week, Army veteran and VFW National staff member Meggan Thomas spoke at a congressional roundtable event focused on women veterans. The congressionally mandated Women Veterans Task Force is committed to highlighting issues specifically affecting our sisters-in-arms, and the VFW is proud to take part in important issues and add our voice to these discussions. One of the areas Thomas brought to the attention of the group, was the burdensome process faced by both men and women when seeking care and benefits from military sexual trauma-related incidents. The VFW applauds Congress for continuing to make women service members and veterans a priority, and will continue to work with this task force to improve care and benefits for all women who served.
Senate Calls for the Elimination of the Widow’s Tax
Last Wednesday, Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) called for a Motion to Instruct (MTI) vote on including the elimination of the Widow’s Tax into the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA). With a vote of 94-0, the Senate unanimously voted to pass the MTI. This is a call to action and sends a message to the NDAA conference committee members that a permanent fix of the Widow’s Tax is long overdue. While a MTI is a non-bonding show of support, the elimination of the Widow’s Tax has never made it this far in the NDAA process in 20 years.
Senate Holds Hearing on Toxic Exposure
Last week, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee held a hearing to discuss VA’s presumptive disability decision-making process regarding toxic exposure. VA and DOD are working together to develop a database to track known toxic exposures by location and date, including burn pits and other environmental hazards. The database, known as the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record (ILER), is scheduled for limited release on Oct. 1, 2019, and will assist VA and DOD to improve care, benefits, and research. The VFW thanks Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Ranking Member Jon Tester (D-Mont.) for their continued bipartisan efforts to expand benefits and protections for service members, veterans, and their families.
Important Dates in October
The month of October has many important days, here are just a few:
Oct. 5 – First day of archery season in Pennsylvania
Oct. 13 – United States Navy’s 244th birthday
Oct. 26 – National Day of the Deployed
POW/MIA Update
The Accounting Agency recently announced the identification of seven American sailors and soldiers who had been missing and unaccounted for since World War II and Korea. Returning home for burial with full military honors are:
Navy Radioman 2nd Class Floyd A. Wells, 24, of Cavalier, N.D., will be buried Oct. 1 in Mandan, N.D. On Dec. 7, 1941, Wells was assigned to the battleship USS Arizona, which sank after sustaining multiple torpedo hits as it was moored off Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Navy Seaman 2nd Class D.T. Kyser, of Oklahoma, was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which capsized after sustaining multiple torpedo hits as it was moored off Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Interment services are pending.
Army Sgt. David C. Sewell, of Minnesota, was a member of Company M, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. On Nov. 28, 1950, Sewell was killed in action near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Interment services are pending.
Army Cpl. Harold Pearce, 25, of Dillon, S.C., was buried last week in Latta, S.C. Pearce was a member of 1st Platoon, 24th Military Police Company, 24th Infantry Division. He was killed July 10, 1950, near the city of Taejon, South Korea.
Army Cpl. Jerome V. Hummel, of Missouri, was a member of Heavy Mortar Company, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action Nov. 30, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Interment services are pending.
Army Sgt. Willie V. Galvan, 24, of Bexar County, Texas, was buried last week in San Antonio. Galvan was a member of Medical Company, 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regimental Combat Team. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 1, 1950, after the enemy attacked his unit near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea.
Army Cpl. Kenneth E. Ford was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. Interment services are pending.
Till next week, praying for all service members.
– Charles Castelluccio
