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Veterans & Military

Families Monthly News

June 2013 Vol. 4 No. 6

In This Issue

P.2-Update From Sec. Ruth

Johnson

P.3-D-Day 70th Anniversary

P.5-Vietnam Records

P.6-Medicare iPad

P.7-Military Appreciation Golf

Outing

P.8-Michigan Military History

P.9-Vet Toxic Exposure

P.12-Military Humor From

Hank

P.13-Cpt. Jeff Haney Memorial

Golf Scramble

P.14-VA Data Breaches

P.16-ESGR

P.17-National Veterans Art

Museum

P.18-Honor Flights

P.19-Gold Star Registry

P.20-WWII Memories From

Cpt. Smith

P.22-VA Adult Daycare

Program

P.26-Thunder Over Michigan

And much more…….

Good afternoon and thank you for reading, this

month’s edition of the newsletter. We appreciate your

involvement and continued support.

Remember, we have two online sources where

you can read and offer comments on the current and

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source for the newsletter works in the same fashion as the

Facebook page.

Please let us know what you think, or if you have

any questions about the online sources. For those of you

who enjoy just receiving the email each month, we will

continue to send it out. But we want to build the online

presence as a way to reach out to more people.

As always, thank you very much for reading. Our

hope is to continue to expand the newsletter. For that, we

need your input. So, again, if anyone has any suggestions

for topics to cover or wants to write their own piece, we

will gladly try to work it in. We hope you enjoy, and

please share your feedback with us.

Thank you very much!

We would like to express our appreciation to all of the

fighting men and women in the United States Military.

Thank you for your service to this country.

69th Anniversary of

D-Day June 6th 2013

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_166650436728442&ap=1

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?%23!/group.php?gid=142624992431017&ref=mf

http://www.scribd.com/matthew_hauser




LANSING, Mich. – Calling it a good day for

Michigan veterans, Michigan Secretary of State Ruth

Johnson watched as Gov. Snyder signed bills that will put

a special veteran designation on the driver's licenses of

honorably discharged veterans.

"I hope every store clerk, every bank teller and

every wait staff who notices the veteran designation will

take a moment to just thank that veteran," said Johnson,

who worked closely with lawmakers and bill sponsors

Rep. Nancy Jenkins, R-Clayton, and Senator Darwin

Booher, R-Evart. "This will be easy, clear-cut proof of

their service that they can use to more easily access the

services they've earned and deserve."

The designation will be available on driver's

licenses and personal state IDs beginning May 2014. "I

would like to thank Representative Jenkins and Senator

Booher for sponsoring these bills and Secretary Johnson

for her support," said Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency

Director Jeff Barnes. "The veterans designation is a great

way for Michigan to honor those who have served and

makes it easier for veterans to access discounts and offers

from retailers, restaurants and hotels who offer special

opportunities to veterans. It's another great step that

improves the quality of life for Michigan's veterans."

Michigan, home to some 680,000 veterans, is the

28th state to put a veteran's designation on state-issued

IDs and driver's licenses. "This common-sense legislation

eliminates hassles that our veterans continually go through

when trying to prove their service for benefits or

discounts," said Jenkins, R-Clayton. "We can never thank

our veterans enough for the sacrifices they have made for

this country, but this is another way we can make their

lives easier and eliminate obstacles they may face."

"In appreciation of America's veterans, many

places offer discounts to veterans and their families," said

Booher, R-Evart. "I sponsored this measure after hearing

from veterans in my district about finding a simpler way

to prove their military service. Instead of having to carry

around their discharge forms, veterans can now have a

special insignia appear on their driver's license and state

ID that verifies their status."

Garth Wooten, president of the Michigan

Association of County Veterans Counselors and division

manager for Oakland County Veterans Services, said

veterans are looking forward to carrying the new driver's

licenses.

"Veterans are very proud of their service and this

will give them a source of pride when they do have to

show that identification," Wooten said. "We're very

excited that we'll be able to use this as an opportunity to

reach out to veterans to make them aware of benefits they

may be eligible for."

Johnson, who personally visited troops in the

Middle East last year as part of her efforts to make voting

easier for overseas military members, is also leading other

initiatives aimed at helping veterans.

Those efforts include a new law passed last year

to ensure absentee ballots are sent overseas to troops by

the required deadline, giving them ample time to return

those ballots in time to be counted on Election Day.

Also planned is a new fundraising license plate

that will raise money directly for Michigan veterans and

their families.

In addition, her office is working with the state's

Department of Military and Veteran Affairs to put veteran

benefit information in each of the state's 131 Secretary of

State branch offices.

Johnson was also a leader on legislation that

passed last year to cut government red tape and help

veterans rejoin the workforce more easily once they get

home. Under that new law, the road test for veterans

applying for a commercial driver's license is waived if

they have verified proof of heavy truck driving experience

during their military service.

Johnson celebrates signing of bills to put

special veteran designation on driver's licenses




The 70th Anniversary of D-Day in 2014 is fast

approaching and the Lakeshore Lancers band of

Stevensville Michigan has been invited by the “D-Day

70th Anniversary Commemoration” and “American Musi-

cal Salute” Committee to join as an official representative

of Michigan in Normandy France in June of 2014. Our

kids will join the American Liberation Victory Parade that

will step off on the actual anniversary day, June 6, 2014 in

the French village of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the first village

to be liberated by American troops.

A 3-time State Champion, the band already

represented the State of Michigan in 2004 at the

inauguration of the World War II memorial in

Washington DC. At the time, our students honored each

living World War II Veteran of Michigan by wearing an

epaulette that was eventually mailed back to them with a

card to thank them for their service and provide them with

a token of appreciation and gratitude.

With an invitation of such historical significance,

we feel our mission should be meant for this generation to

remember forever the meaning of D-Day and those

Michigan citizens who made the ultimate sacrifice to

preserve our freedom as well as the significant role the

State of Michigan played in this war effort.

In particular, we are planning on honoring each of

the 419 soldiers of Michigan resting at the Normandy

American Cemetery by pouring a little bit sand from

Michigan on their grave as a symbol of our remembrance

of their sacrifice. The Michigan sand will be collected

from high schools of Michigan as an educational program

and in return, we will bring back sand from Omaha Beach

that will be presented back to each participating school as

a token of appreciation and a symbol of remembrance. In

addition, we plan for our marching students to wear a

ribbon in honor of each of the last living WWII veterans

of Michigan that will eventually be mailed back to them

as a mark of our gratitude. Finally, our students will

research the history of leading companies of Michigan

during World War II and build boards that illustrate the

amazing contribution of our State to the war efforts.

To accomplish this extraordinary invasion, the

allied forces relied on American manufacturing

companies to produce military equipment such as the

Sherman Tank, bombers like the B-24, gliders such as the

Waco CG-4A, amphibious vehicles like the DUCW, and

military transport vehicles like the GMC CCKW350, the

Dodge WC, or the iconic Jeep.

Continued...







What do all these have in

common? They were all manufactured

by leading companies from Michigan. In

fact, the whole State of Michigan and its

business leaders threw themselves in

support of the war effort like no other as

the backbone of what was once called

“the arsenal for democracy”. One can

argue that never in the history of

Michigan, has our State had such a

leading impact on the world as during

World War II.

Our band is quite large for

a high school of less than 1000

students. As a matter of fact, our

band has never travelled overseas.

Most band parents simply do not

have the means to pay for such a

large expense. For this event, we

started a comprehensive

fundraising program. We are

reaching out to numerous leaders

of Michigan to gather support::

from local businesses, corporate

leaders, private donors,

foundations, the French American

Chamber of Commerce of Detroit,

The Michigan Department of

Military and Veterans Affairs, the

Michigan Department of Education,

as well as our State and

Congressional representatives. The

response is consistent and

overwhelmingly supportive as

everyone shows their patriotic

support and desire to ensure that

such a project gets accomplished.

As we live in these

difficult economic and political

times, wouldn’t it be extraordinary

if we could celebrate in 2014 our

glorious past while looking for-

ward to a bright future that we

owe to all those who served? I

think you will agree that we owe it

to the past generations, to the fall-

en, to our last surviving veterans,

and to the future generations.

For more information and for con-

tribution interest, a website will be

available soon: come visit us at

www.ddaymichigan.com!




Some Useful Links Air Force Times

www.airforcetimes.com

Navy Times

www.navytimes.com

Marine Corps Times

www.marinecorpstimes.com

Army Times

www.armytimes.com

Military Times

www.militarytimes.com

TRICARE

www.tricare.mil

American Legion

www.legion.org

Veterans of Foreign Wars

www.vfw.org

AMVETS

www.amvets.org

The DAV

www.dav.org

Department of Defense

www.dod.gov

Military/Veterans Report

www.militray.com

The Pentagon Channel

www.pentagonchannel.mil

Veterans Administration

www.va.gov

Military Order of the Purple Heart

www.purpleheart.org

If anyone has a site

they would like to have

added to this growing list

please let us know!

Contact us anytime

at [email protected]

Also check out the

complete list of links that

appear in this newsletter

on the last page.

Thank you for

your Support!

From: Gene Simon

Records of Vietnam For More information

please visit the site by Clicking Here

http://www.airforcetimes.com/

http://www.navytimes.com/

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/

http://www.armytimes.com/

http://www.militarytimes.com/

http://www.tricare.mil/

http://www.legion.org/

http://www.vfw.org/

http://www.amvets.org/

http://www.dav.org

http://www.dod.gov

http://www.militray.com

http://www.pentagonchannel.mil/

http://www.va.gov/

http://www.purpleheart.org

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.recordsofwar.com/vietnam/airforce/index.htm




Medicare IPAD From: RAO Bulletin May 2013 (Lt. James ―EMO

Tichacek, USN (Ret) Associate Director, Retiree Assis-

tance Office, U.S. Embassy Warden & IRS VITA Baguio

City RPPSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517 Tel: (951)

238-1246 in U.S. or Cell: 0915-361-3503 in the Philip-

pines. Email: [email protected] AL/AMVETS/

DAV/FRA/NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/VVA/

CG33/DD890/AD37 member)

The Independent Payment Advisory Board, or

IPAB, is a fifteen-member United States Government

agency created in 2010 by sections 3403 and 10320 of the

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which has the

explicit task of achieving specified savings in Medicare

without affecting coverage or quality. Under previous and

current law, changes to Medicare payment rates and pro-

gram rules are recommended by MedPAC but require an

act of Congress to take effect. The new system grants IP-

AB the authority to make changes to the Medicare pro-

gram with the Congress being given the power to overrule

the agency's decisions through supermajority vote.

Beginning in 2013, the Chief Actuary of the Cen-

ters for Medicare and Medicaid Services will determine in

particular years the projected per capita growth rate for

Medicare for a multi-year period ending in the second

year thereafter (the "implementation year"). If the projec-

tion exceeds a target growth rate, IPAB must develop a

proposal to reduce Medicare spending in the implementa-

tion year by a specified amount. If it is required to devel-

op a proposal, the Board must submit that proposal in Jan-

uary of the year before the implementation year; thus, the

first proposal could be submitted in January 2014 to take

effect in 2015. If the Board fails to submit a proposal that

the Chief Actuary certifies will achieve the savings target,

the Secretary of Health and Human Services must submit

a proposal that will achieve that amount of savings. The

Secretary must then implement the proposal unless Con-

gress enacts resolutions made to override the Board's (or

the Secretary's) decisions under a fast-track procedure that

the law sets forth.

Critics of IPAB have charged that the board's cost

-cutting mandate will inevitably bring about a reduction in

care, despite the anti-rationing language in the bill. Con-

gressman Phil Roe from Tennessee, a medical doctor,

warned that IPAB will ration care through payment poli-

cy. American Medical News charged that the bill gives

IPAB "unprecedented, dangerous authority to cut Medi-

care pay rates and strangle access to care. IPAB has fre-

quently been denounced by its critics as a Death panel.

On 25 APR NAUS President Jack Klimp signed and sent

a letter to Congress urging the repeal of the Independent

Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). President Klimp of-

fered the following statement:

Empowering a board of unelected officials to de-

termine Medicare policy completely undermines the criti-

cal role of Congress. Charged with cutting health care

costs for seniors when spending hits an arbitrary cap, the

IPAB would operate with very little oversight yet wield

tremendous power over how Medicare operates. This will

not only jeopardize the delivery of health care for seniors,

but also inhibit research and innovation into new and im-

proved medical procedures and treatments down the road,

many of which could help save the lives of future service

men and women.

On behalf of the service members and supporters

across the United States that we represent, we urge the

repeal of IPAB to ensure that our veterans, who sacrificed

for our country, can rely on quality health care without

the uncertainty that comes with an unelected board mak-

ing cuts to vital services. Instead of handing over the criti-

cal role of protecting the health care of millions of Ameri-

cans to an unelected board, we urge Congress to take re-

sponsibility for these difficult decisions and repeal IPAB

without delay." NAUS urges you to contact your elected

officials and let them know how you feel about this issue.

[Source: NAUS Weekly Update 26 Apr 2013 ++]

Veterans Radio is dedicated to all of the men

and women who have served or are currently

serving in the armed forces of the United States

of America. Our mission is to provide all veter-

ans with a voice, to give them a forum where they are able to discuss their issues…and tell their stories. You can

listen to the show on: WDEO (990-AM Ann Arbor/Detroit), WMAX (1440-AM, Saginaw), WDEO-FM (99.5 FM,

Naples FL), KAGY (1510-AM Port Sulfur/New Orleans LA), KIXW (960-AM, Apple Valley CA) and KMRC (1430-

AM Morgan City, LA). Or, listen to our Webcast and archives at: www.veteransradio.net.

http://www.veteransradio.net




The Tumultuous 1960s From: www.michigan.gov

The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1961

On October 1, 1961, the 156th Signal Battalion

was federalized at its home stations in response to the

Cuban missile crisis. It reported to Fort Benning, GA., on

October 13th for one year of service. This marked the

Michigan National Guard's last call to federal duty for

service outside the state for almost 30 years.

Macomb Country and Hillsdale, 1964

A disastrous tornado touched down in Macomb

County on May 7, 1964 and 377 Guardsmen were called

to duty from May 8 to 13. They patrolled the area to pre-

vent looting and cleared roads so utility service could be

restored.

Later that month, employees of the Essex Wire

Corporation walked off their jobs in Hillsdale and threat-

ened property damage to the company. Six-hundred and

sixty-eight Guardsmen were called to duty in a situation

that resembled the 1937 General Motors sit down strike in

Flint. The Guardsmen remained on duty from May 28

until June 10. They prevented strikers from destroying

company or private property.

Benton Harbor, 1966

Michigan did not escape the the middle 1960s as

they turned hot and violent in many U.S. cities. Street vio-

lence erupted in Benton Harbor on August 30, 1966 and

Governor George Romney ordered out 1,790 Guardsmen

to quell the riot. By September 5th, Benton Harbor was

quieted and the Guardsmen returned to their armories.

The experience they had gained would pay off in 1967,

1968, and 1969.

Detroit, 1967

Widespread protest rioting broke out following

the Detroit Police raid on a "blind pig" in the early morn-

ing hours of July 23, 1967. The protests became so violent

that neither the Detroit or Michigan State Police could

contain them. Mayor Jerome Cavanaugh appealed to the

Governor. Governor Romney called out the Guard on July

24th by ordering the 2nd Brigade, 46th Infantry Division

to state actual duty. The other two brigades of the 46th

were at Camp Grayling conducting annual training. Their

training was cancelled and the troops quickly moved to

Detroit.

The situation worsened and by July 26th, twelve

square miles of Detroit were burning. Mayor Cavanaugh

and Governor Romney consulted with U.S. Vice Presi-

dent Hubert H. Humphrey; they decided to commit more

troops to Detroit. At the same time, the Michigan Nation-

al Guard was federalized and placed under command of

the U.S. Army's XVIII Airborne Corps from Fort Bragg,

N.C.

One brigade each from the 82nd and 101st Air-

borne Divisions were flown to Selfridge Air National

Guard Base and joined Task Force Detroit under the com-

mand of Lt. Gen. John Throckmorton. The task force

cracked down on the rioters. By July 29th, the situation

was calm enough to pull regular army troops out and

leave the city in the hands of the federalized Michigan

National Guard. The Guard returned to state control and

demobilized on August 2nd.

During the Detroit rioting, 42 fatalities occurred,

including one Guardsman--Corp. Larry L. Post of the

182nd Field Artillery. In all, 8,500 Michigan National

Guardsmen were involved in quelling the rioting.

Dr. King Assassination, 1968

Following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther

King, Jr., the Michigan National Guard quickly mobilized

8,397 Guardsmen on April 5, 1968. Deployed to streets of

major Michigan cities, the Guardsmen's presence and

alertness helped prevent rioting in Michigan during the

period of national sadness and rage that followed King's

murder. The Michigan Guard stood down on April 10th.










Vet Toxic Exposure ~ Ft Gillem

From: RAO Bulletin May 2013 (Lt. James ―EMO





pines. Email: [email protected] AL/AMVETS/DAV/

FRA/NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/VVA/CG33/

DD890/AD37 member)

In the early 1990s the U.S. Army discovered haz-

ardous chemicals dumped at Fort Gillem seeping into resi-

dential wells in neighboring Forest Park. The finding

prompted the military to pass out bottled water and con-

vert many residents to a county water system from their

private wells. But two decades and a base closure later,

state officials say the Army still hasn’t done enough to

clean up known and suspected carcinogens that are mi-

grating from groundwater into surface water and, poten-

tially, into the air residents breathe. State environmental

officials worry that dangerous concentrations of toxic in-

dustrial solvents could be present in nearby Joy Lake,

where many fish and eat their catch. They fear that the

underground concentration of one volatile solvent is so

high that toxic vapor may be accumulating inside homes.

They’re not convinced the source of the contamination is

contained. And they say the Army hasn’t done enough to

warn residents of potential danger.

Earlier this year, state officials grew so impatient

that they turned to the environmental equivalent of the

nuclear option: They asked the U.S. Environmental Pro-

tection Agency to weigh the possibility of making Fort

Gillem a Superfund site. That outcome could effectively

kill a plan to transform the abandoned post into something

Clayton County desperately needs, a job-creating industri-

al hub. “We’re frustrated that it’s taken this long,” said

Jim Ussery, assistant director of the Georgia Environmen-

tal Protection Division. “They’ve done a lot of good

things, but we don’t feel the pace is rapid enough and

there are a lot of areas we have concerns about.” Instead,

state officials say the Army has placed too much focus on

preparing to transfer the land to Forest Park, which pur-

chased 1,170 acres of the base last year for $30 million.

Because of the pending sale, the state has asked for — but

thus far not received — a plan outlining who will be re-

sponsible for the clean-up after the land is in the city’s

hands.

Army officials say they are committed to cleaning

up the base. They deny that they are placing economic

objectives over human health. They say they haven’t

dragged their feet but that environmental clean-ups are

complicated, lengthy and rely on all parties to meet cru-

cial deadlines. “We’re never satisfied. We want it to be

faster. But that doesn’t necessarily equate to that occur-

ring,” said Glynn Ryan, the Army’s site manager for Fort

Gillem and Fort McPherson, both of which were closed as

a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure pro-

cess. Ryan said the military is clear on its legal responsi-

bility to manage contamination problems in perpetuity,

and the Army plans to have the site cleaned up by 2018.

“We’re all interested in the same thing,” he said: “the pro-

tection of human health and the environment.” Army offi-

cials say they plan to do a vapor intrusion study in May.

The last one was performed in 2003.

Opened in 1941 during World War II, Fort Gillem

began as the Atlanta Quartermaster Depot and later be-

came the Atlanta Army Depot. It earned its current name

in honor of Lt. Gen. Alvan Gillem Jr. in the early 1970s

when it became a sub-installation to Fort McPherson. His-

torically the base was used to ship supplies around the

world. At different times Gillem was home to the First

U.S. Army, military police and even the Federal Emer-

gency Management Agency. Though the base officially

closed in September 2011, the military retained 257 acres

which house a forensic lab, as well as Army, Navy and

Georgia National Guard units. The bulk of the base, how-

ever, is a reminder of years past, with abandoned ware-

houses and overgrown brush. As on many military bases,

parts of Gillem became dumping grounds for all sorts of

chemicals and other materials. In addition to engine oil,

solvents and rubber, the base is home to a German mus-

tard gas bomb that was leaking when it was buried in the

1940s. That World War II nerve poison has been decon-

taminated three times, Army officials say, and there’s no

evidence it remains a threat. [Source: The Atlanta Jour-

nal-Constitution | Katie Leslie & Shannon McCaffrey |

April 14, 2013 ++]




Special Thanks To Lest WE Forget For Their Support!

They meet the first Wednesday of everything month and 10am. For more information Click Here.

I would also like to thank Mr. Kenneth Mckeown for the great photos.-Matthew X. Hauser




http://www.lestweforgetusa.org/




Need a Ride Form: www.dav.org

Because so many sick and disabled

veterans lack transportation to and from VA

medical facilities for needed treatment, the

DAV operates a nationwide Transportation

Network to meet this need.

Through the Transportation Network,

DAV volunteers drive sick and disabled vet-

erans to and from VA medical facilities for

treatment. The Transportation Network is a

clear example of veterans helping veterans.

The DAV stepped in to meet a substantial

community need when the federal government terminated

its program that helped many veterans pay for transporta-

tion to VA medical facilities. The DAV has 189

Hospital Service Coordinators around the country who

coordinate the transportation needs for

disabled veterans.

Use the DAV Hospital Service Coor-

dinator Directory to contact your nearest

HSC for information or assistance. Please

remember that the DAV Transportation

Network is staffed by volunteers; therefore, it

is unable to cover every community. We hope

we can help you. Locate your nearest VA

Medical Center

From Gene Simon-Picture of Lake Michigan's Only Aircraft Carrier

The USS Wolverine (IX-64) lies at anchor in Lake Michigan 1943 with Chicago skyline in background

http://www.dav.org

http://www.dav.org/volunteers/documents/HSCDirectory.pdf

http://www.dav.org/volunteers/documents/HSCDirectory.pdf

http://www1.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp?isFlash=1

http://www1.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp?isFlash=1




Military Rules...

A Little Humor From

Hank Fuhs Marine Corps Rules:

1. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.

2. Decide to be aggressive enough, quickly enough.

3. Have a plan.

4. Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably

won't work.

5. Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill eve-

ryone you meet.

6. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose caliber

does not start with a '4.'

7. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Am-

mo is cheap. Life is expensive.

8. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend.

(Lateral and diagonal preferred.)

9. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.

10. Flank your adversary. When possible, protect yours.

11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the

one you lose.

12. In ten years, nobody will remember the details of cali-

ber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who

lived.

13. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating

your intention to shoot..

Navy SEAL Rules:

1. Look very cool in sunglasses.

2. Kill every living thing in sight.

3. Adjust Speedo.

4. Check hair in mirror.

US Army Rangers' Rules:

1. Walk in 50 miles wearing 75 pound rucksack while

starving.

2. Locate individuals requiring killing.

3. Request permission via radio from 'Higher' to perform

killing.

4. Curse bitterly when mission is aborted.

5. Walk out 50 miles wearing a 75 pound rucksack while

starving.

US Army Rules:

1. Curse bitterly when receiving operational order.

2. Make sure there is extra ammo and extra coffee.

3. Curse bitterly.

4. Curse bitterly.

5. Do not listen to 2nd LTs; it can get you killed.

6. Curse bitterly.

US Air Force Rules:

1. Have a cocktail.

2. Adjust temperature on air-conditioner.

3. See what's on HBO.

4. Ask 'What is a gunfight?'

5. Request more funding from Congress with a 'killer'

Power Point presentation.

6. Wine and dine ''key'' Congressmen, invite DOD and

defense industry executives.

7. Receive funding, set up new command and assemble

assets.

8. Declare the assets 'strategic' and never deploy them op-

erationally.

9. Hurry to make 13:45 tee-time.

10. Make sure the base is as far as possible from the con-

flict, but close enough to have tax exemption.

( And I Love This Next One)

US Navy Rules:

1. Go to Sea.

2. Drink Coffee.

3. Deploy Marines

Go Navy!

We would like to express our appreciation to all of the fighting men and women in the United States

Military. Thank you for your service to this country.




MICHIGAN AIR NATIONAL GUARD

HISTORY BOOKS The Michigan Air National Guard Historical Association created a three volume set of history books covering the

periods 1926-1996. A fourth volume covering the years 1996 to 2006 is in production and should be available soon.

Volume 1 covers the period 1926 to 1976-Cost: $1.00



Volume 4 covers the period 1996 to 2010-Cost: $6:00 Full color $35.00

If you wish to purchase one or more of these volumes or are interested in more information, please contact MAGHA at

Phone: 586-239-6768, Fax: 586-239-6646, Email: [email protected]

MANGBANG From: Eugene (Gene) A. Simon- Command Chief Master Sergeant USAF (Retired) & Matthew X. Hauser

As you may have seen in past editions of the newsletter, MANGBANG has been one of our sources. We are

thankful for the source and so we just wanted to pass the information along for MANGBANG in case anyone is interest-

ed in joining the Michigan Air National Guard Historical Association.

You can contact Lou Nigro if you are interested. We think it is a worthwhile investment-it supports the history

of the Michigan Air National Guard and his monthly publications are very informative.

For those who want to view it on our website (www.selfridgeairmuseum.org,

http://www.selfridgeairmuseum.org ), Lt Col Lou Nigro, MI ANG (Ret) Executive Director, Selfridge Military Air

Museum Email: [email protected]

VA Data Breaches From: RAO Bulletin March 2013 (Lt. James ―EMO



City RPPSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517 Tel: (951) 238

-1246 in U.S. or Cell: 0915-361-3503 in the Philippines.

Email: [email protected] AL/AMVETS/DAV/FRA/

NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/VVA/CG33/DD890/

AD37 member)

The VA inspector general has reported that VA

has been sending sensitive data – including electronic

health records – over unencrypted networks, making them

vulnerable to theft or misuse. According to the IG Report,

which is available at http://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG

-12-02802-111.pdf, it has been common practice for the

agency to send the unencrypted data to outpatient clinics

and private contractors, contrary to federal rules that

require a higher level of security. The information

included veterans' and dependents' Social Security num-

bers, dates of birth and other private health data. No

known security breach occurred. The inspector general is

recommending the agency put in place the necessary

controls and train its personnel on understanding the

importance of encrypting sensitive information. VA

officials say they agree with the report's recommendations

and will take corrective action. [Source: NAUS Weekly

Update 8 Mar 2013 ++]


http://www.selfridgeairmuseum.org

http://www.selfridgeairmuseum.org


http://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-12-02802-111.pdf

http://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-12-02802-111.pdf




We would like to express our appreciation

to all of the fighting men and women in the

United States Military.


A Note From: Lest We Forget

Speakers Bureau This notice from

LWF is to inform the reader

of the development of a

“Lest We Forget” Speaker’s

Bureau. Since our organiza-

tion has conducted three

yearlong courses at Lake

Michigan College, we have

many topics and many quali-

fied speakers to present

information from WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, and

our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We have developed formats for school children

of all ages, and for veteran’s organization. Whatever the

event we will gladly produce the correct format We

would be glad to present any topic of interest to any

group.

As coordinator, I will be glad to help with the

choices of presentations and help with planning.

Gary C. Lulenski

Coordinator Speaker’s Bureau

269-428-3442

[email protected]

STEP UP AND LEAD From: The USO

In 2012, we're calling

on the brave men and women

of our armed forces to make

some incredible sacrifices in

Afghanistan, Iraq, and remote

locations around the world.

That means you and I need to

make an extra effort to show

our support.

One of the best ways to let our troops know

that you've got their back is by supporting the work of

the USO. Step Up and Lead -- support our troops by

signing up to be part of the USO today.

What is ESGR From: www.esgr.mil

ESGR, a Department of Defense agency, was

established in 1972 to promote cooperation and under-

standing between Reserve Component Service members

and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution

of conflicts arising from an employee's military commit-

ment. ESGR is supported by a network of more than

4,800 volunteers in 54 committees located across all 50

states, the District of Columbia, Guam-CNMI, the U.S.

Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Volunteers, hailing from

small business and industry, government, education and

prior military service bring a vast wealth of experience to

assist in serving employers, service members and their

families. Together with Headquarters ESGR staff and a

small cadre of support staff for each State Committee,

volunteers work to promote and enhance employer

support for military service in the Guard and Reserve.

ESGR has served our country for 40 years, devel-

oping and promoting a culture in which all American

employers support and value the military service of their

employees serving in the Guard and Reserve. These

citizen warriors could not defend and protect us at home

and abroad without the continued promise of meaningful

civilian employment for themselves and their families.

ESGR has continued to adapt to meet the needs of our

Reserve Component members, their families and Ameri-

ca’s employers by joining forces with a network of other

national, state and local government and professional

trade organizations as together, We All Serve!

Click the Michigan Flag to access the ESGR Michigan Page


http://skm.purecastmail.com/raincoat/akjnqnhBh0367wBefkB7czxuvB96rBxs4kx/2/action.uso.org/action/aq-email-corp?sc=aq-email-corp

http://skm.purecastmail.com/raincoat/akjnqnhBh0367wBefkB7czxuvB96rBxs4kx/2/action.uso.org/action/aq-email-corp?sc=aq-email-corp

http://www.esgr.mil

http://www.esgr.mil/Contact/Local-State-Pages/Michigan.aspx




National Veterans Art Museum From: Gene Simon

The National Veterans Art Museum, formerly the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum, located at 4041 N.

Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago's six corners neighborhood, is dedicated to displaying and studying art produced by

veterans from the Vietnam War and other wars and conflicts. Originally a traveling exhibition, while in Chicago it was

viewed by Mayor Richard M. Daley, who was so taken by the power of the art that he immediately insisted that the city

provide a permanent home for it. The entrance hall has 58,226 dog tags hanging from the ceiling, representing the US

soldiers who died in Vietnam. It and the other exhibits have been described as deeply moving.

When visitors first enter the National Vietnam Veterans Art museum, they will hear a sound like wind chimes

coming from above them and their attention will be drawn upward 24 feet to the ceiling of the two-story high atrium.

Dog tags of the more than 58,000 service men and women who died in the Vietnam War hang from the ceiling

of the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum in Chicago on Veterans Day, November 11, 2010. The 10-by-40-foot

sculpture, entitled Above & Beyond, was designed by Ned Broderick and Richard Steinbock. The tens of thousands of

metal dog tags are suspended 24 feet in the air, 1 inch apart, from fine lines that allow them to move and chime with

shifting air currents. Museum employees using a kiosk and laser pointer help visitors locate the exact dog tag with the

imprinted name of their lost friend or relative.




National Gold Star Registry

From: Wendy Lynn Day

(www.goldstarfamilyregistry.com)

The National Gold Star Family Registry is the

first comprehensive database of the United States’ fallen

Heroes and their families ever developed. The Registry

not only affords family members the opportunity to

publicly remember their loved one, but serves as a

historical log of our Nation’s true Heroes. By providing

educational resources and personal accounts, the Registry

ensures that future generations may know who these

brave Americans were—not only how they died, but,

more importantly, how they lived.

The information in the Registry is compiled from

a number of different public sources including the

Department of Defense and the National Archives.

Adhering to Department of Defense guidelines for

families who receive the ‘Gold Star Pin,’ the Registry

only includes the names of Heroes who have given their

lives on the battlefield.

From the Vietnam Wall in Washington, DC, to

the countless war memorials on courthouse lawns, the

United States is peppered with stone monuments honor-

ing those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. These

treasures are powerful, but access is limited by

geography, and names inscribed in stone don’t tell the

Heroes’ full story. The National Gold Star Family

Registry serves as a 21st Century monument, utilizing the

latest in internet technology to memorialize those same

men and women in a whole new way.

How the Registry Began The National Gold Star Family Registry is a

project of Military Families United, a not-for-profit 501

(c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to Honor

the Fallen, Support Those Who Fight, and Serve Their

Families. Through various events held for Gold Star

Family members, Military Families United recognized a

need for families to be able to share the stories of their

Heroes with the world. In the beginning, families

attending these events wrote their stories in a notebook to

share with other Gold Star families, this concept

eventually took the form of the virtual memorial.

First launched in 2010, the Registry has been

continually upgraded with the latest in technology and

resources. This 21st Century memorial ensures that

anyone anywhere can honor and remember the Heroes

who have laid down their lives in defense of freedom.

Whether they gave their life in Iraq, Afghanistan,

Vietnam, Korea, WWII, or another conflict, the Registry

is a place to ensure their memory will live on.

About Military Families United Military Families United is a not-for-profit 501(c)

(3) charitable organization whose mission is to Honor the

Fallen, Support Those Who Fight, and Serve Their

Families. We are a national coalition of Gold Star and

Blue Star families, veterans, and patriotic Americans who

share a deep appreciation for our men and women in

uniform and support them in their mission to keep

America safe. Founded in 2005 to provide an avenue for

military families to remind the nation of the importance

of supporting our military and the mission they have been

given , the organization expanded to provide charitable

programs offering families direct support. Through a

portfolio of unique services, events, and advocacy

programs, the organization seeks to ensure that future

generations of Americans will never forget the sacrifices

of our courageous military.

The MPVA Mission From: www.michiganpva.org

MPVA is celebrating its 50th year of service in Michigan. It

is a chapter of the national Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), operating according to the standards and practices

established by the PVA.

MPVA is, however, a separate 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The Michigan programs, services, education,

and outreach conducted here are made possible by local volunteers, partners, sponsors, and donors.

The mission of Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America is to enhance the lives of veterans with spinal cord

injury or disease as well as all citizens with disabilities, by advocating for civil rights, assuring quality health care,

supporting continued research and education, and encouraging independence and healthy living through various health,

sports and recreational programs. MPVA shall continue striving to remain at the forefront of both veterans’ benefits

services and disability rights, while working toward a better quality of life for all American citizens.

http://www.michiganpva.org/




On July 4th 2012 Mr. Franklin Smith passed away. In Decem-

ber of 2011 I received a letter with a story attached. Since

then I have been working on obtaining a copy of his full

story. Don Alsbro the President of Lest We Forget SW MI

provided me with the document. Mr. Smith wrote over 50

pages in his account of World War II. Over the next few

months we will publish the whole story. I thank Lest We

Forget for their support with this project.–Matthew X. Hauser

World War II Memories

From Captain Franklin

H. Smith-Part VIII By: The Late Cpt. Franklin H. Smith

RHEIMS On August

29th I was standing by

with my company to

move to the assembly

area to cross the Maine.

The crossing was being

made behind the 2nd

Infantry which had

already gone across. I

finally crossed with my

company at approxi-

mately 1:00 a.m. on

August 30th. On

August 31st my notes said that I rode with my company to

Beins and went on a defensive position. “K” Company

was nearby. Captain Altman contacted me and said that he

would like to go back to Rheims that night. I said that I

would like to see Rheims because I had read a lot about it

and the Cathedral. We went back to talk to our command-

er, Major Birdsong and see whether he would give us per-

mission. The major said that he would like to see the Ca-

thedral so he would go with us and turn the Battalion over

to his Executive Officer. We had to go see Colonel Yuill

and request permission. The major had a captured car so

we piled in and went to regimental headquarters.

We had to report to Captain Bruce Campbell who

was the adjutant and we told him we wanted permission,

if possible, from Colonel Yuill to go to Rheims. The Cap-

tain said he wanted to go too so he went back into a tent to

talk to the Colonel and he came out with a long face. He

told us that Colonel Yuill had given permission for the

three of us to go, but not for him. We took off for Rheims

and arrived at the Cathedral which was locked. Some of

the windows had been removed and it was sandbagged

very high. All we were able to do was to walk around it

and look. We saw a hotel that had a small restaurant so we

decided to go in and see what was going on. We were

hoping to have a sandwich and some coffee. We were in

this little restaurant and some Frenchmen came over very

quickly to tell us that there were some snipers outside and

some shooting was going on. We said we were off duty

and he would have to get someone else to handle the situ-

ation. This was sort of pea‐ nuts to us and we did not

want to get involved. In fact, if I remember correctly,

there were some other soldiers who seemed to be rear

echelon troops that were in the restaurant. We told the

Frenchmen they should talk to those guys and let them

handle it.

VERDUN As the Germans retreated across France, they

would usually defend an area at a time. We would attack

them and put the pressure on them and they would fire at

us. We would catch artillery and mortar fire and we would

respond. Usually during the night the Germans would

start a withdrawal to the next little village or town and

take up their defense again. We would have to catch up

with them and start the same thing all over again. This

was the picture as we moved across France. Our combat

team’s next objective was the town of Verdun. Some of

our troops had already moved in and occupied Verdun. I

was moved by truck to an area call Regret about one and a

half miles west of Versailles. I had loaded on 21st Field

Artillery trucks at 5:30 p.m. and arrived around midnight.

I went into a defensive position in the rear of the regimen-

tal command post, which now was in the hotel in the cen-

ter of Verdun. I had set up my headquarters in the yard of

a big farm in that area. On the morning of Sept 1st a

farmer came out of his house and told me that he would

be willing to run warm water from his house by hose to

his horse trough to let me soldiers wash up. I told him that

it would be very nice because the soldiers had not had any

opportunity to use warm water to clean up with.

A number of my soldiers were standing around

listening to the conversation and the farmer told me that I

could come into his house and use his bathtub. Of course

it was impossible for all these guys to take a bath so I said

that I would wash up at the trough with my men. The men

near me told me to go in and wash up and they made a big

deal of it so I said that if they thought I needed a bath that

bad I would go in and take one. The farmer ran the hot

water out and the men came a few at a time. Some of

them were making the most of the hot water and were

shaving and cleaning up. It was the first bath I had since I

arrived in France and I felt like a million bucks after en-

joying such a luxurious experience. The farmer wanted to

take me to one of the cemeteries of WWI. He was very

proud of it even though the American government paid

for the up keep; the French had to do it for us. He said it

was a beautiful cemetery, but I had to stay with my com-

pany in case something happened.




We had moved into the Verdun area very quickly

and the Germans were coming from the south to shut us

off. They started shooting up our trucks to our rear. “K”

Company was sent back to a town called Clermont to

clear out the Germans and make it safe for our trucks.

They were getting their tires shot up and some of the

trucks were running around with one tire when there

should have been dual tires because the other one had

been hit by bullets. “K” Company moved back and that

was where Captain Altman was shot. He had been lying

on the ground and someone had managed to get a bullet

under him. He was not badly wounded but he did have a

permanent wound.

As I remember the day of September 1st was a

fairly quiet day for us but that night German planes came

over and were bombing the area around Verdun. It made

the soldiers nervous. There is not much you can do about

it except remain calm yourself. Verdun was being hit pret-

ty good. Fortunately the bombs were not dropping right in

our area. September 2nd I was called to headquarters and

told that I was to move out about ten miles east of Verdun

to outpost the area with my company. In the meantime my

driver had been down to the kitchen and found that they

were cooking steaks and chicken that had been taken from

the German headquarters. They also had a large supply of

liquor and wine. Our staff people had taken possession of

this entire larder and I was told my share was ten cases of

wine. I asked how I could move ten cases and someone

said take it or leave it. I said I would take it but didn’t

know what I would do with it.

When I left headquarters, my driver said he had

arranged for us to have chicken dinner right here in the

kitchen. I told him I was sorry but we couldn’t do that, we

had to get moving. He grabbed a couple of pieces and we

had a bite anyway. I still didn’t know what to do with the

wine so I got in touch with Captain Johnny Mitchell of the

19th Field artillery. I told him that I had ten cases of wine

in the hotel and if he could pick it up he could have two

cases for his men and I would get the rest later. He said he

would take care of it. I got my company and moved out to

the outpost line. My men thought they were getting a bum

deal as they were being shoved out in front and I agreed

with them. At 12:14 a.m. on September 3rd German

planes flew over again and were bombing Verdun and all

surrounding areas. We could hear the bombing and really

could see what was going on for we were on a high ridge.

I told my men that we were lucky to be out of there. If we

were back in Verdun we would be getting bombed. One

of the German planes dropped his bombs in our area and

really gave us a scare. I remember that I looked at the sky

and said, “You coward, you are supposed to go over

Verdun and drop your bombs and you dropped them here.

You will go back and say that you dropped over Verdun.”

The night of September 2nd, I must have been especially

tired for I find in my notes that I said I had a particularly

good night’s rest. It must have been quiet on September

2nd. Usually we were quite tired and did not have much

trouble sleeping. It usually didn’t take long after I had my

company organized with our defenses set that I would fall

asleep. It had to be something special that I would make

that note that I had a good night’s rest. I was told to make

contact over in a small town with a company from the 2nd

Infantry Regiment. I had previously met the officer in

Iceland so I went over to this town to find him. The town

was primarily houses on one street and they had been bad-

ly bombed on the night of September 1st. It seems to me

that this was a Sunday morning and these people were out

cleaning up the rubble of their wrecked homes. I could not

figure out why they were bombed because there were no

Americans there to my knowledge. Maybe the 2nd

Infantry Company moved in, but as my driver and I drove

down through the street the people did not look at us, they

did not wave, they were not glad to see us. I think they

probably figured we caused them to be bombed. We

drove to the end of town and there were not any Ameri-

cans there so I told my driver to turn around and get out of

town. There was so much destruction and the people were

not friendly and we were the only Americans there. If

there were other Americans there, they had left. I never

did find out.

The people in that area were almost afraid to be

friendly with us because they were afraid of the Germans

returning. In fact, I remember in some areas the people

said the Germans told them not to be too cocky because

they would be coming back. They kept them frightened.

I had started to move east with my company

spread out along quite a long line. I didn’t know exactly

where the Germans were at that point. I got a call from

Major Birdsong who told me to stop our advance and not

go farther. He told me that he wanted me to move back to

the high ground behind us and he would give me further

orders. We started moving back and as we were moving

back to the west, I came upon a small grouping of tents.

My company was about two hundred yards east of the

tents and I told them to hold up and stay because I was

going to walk over and check the tents out. I went over

and saw that the tents were a small field hospital. I went

inside and talked to one of the soldiers and asked who was

in charge. He told me that major so and so was and I

asked to see him. When the major came out I asked him

how long he was planning to stay in this position. He told

me that they would be okay because the 11th Infantry was

out in front. I asked him if he could see the line of soldiers

in that field about two hundred yards to the east. I told

him that was the front line of the 11th Infantry and when I

walk past his hospital it will be the front line of this area

because I was going to the high ground behind us. He

asked if I minded staying until he could call on the radio.





Fighting men and women in the United States Military.


Michigan Republican

Party Facebook Page Along with building the

newsletter’s Facebook page,

which can be found by the

link above, the Michigan

Republican Party is building

their page. If you would like

join, please click here.

They must have told him that the 11th Infantry

would be out in front of him because he replied that he

was talking to the captain of the 11th Infantry and he is

telling me that he is the front line and they are moving to

my rear. So he came back and asked if we would stay

there while they took down tents and moved. I told him

that we were not in any particular hurry and would stay

until he got the tents down and moved their small field

hospital out of the area. Then I moved on back to the high

ground. There I met Major Birdsong who told me that

they were short of gasoline and were going to have to

hold up on our advance. We went into a defensive posi-

tion with the rest of the battalion. Looking at my notes I

apparently found some French woman to wash some

clothes for me. My notes also say that on September 5th

we had a little rain and I led my company to an area

around Marchville. Around 5:30 p.m. I went into defen-

sive position and my command post was in a barn. I had

been given an order for September 7th because my notes

said that I had a big mission for the next day.

VA Adult Day Care

Program From: RAO Bulletin May 2013 (Lt. James ―EMO





pines. Email: [email protected] AL/AMVETS/

DAV/FRA/NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/VVA/

CG33/DD890/AD37 member)

The VA’s Adult Day Health Care is a program

Veterans can go to during the day for social activities,

peer support, companionship, and recreation. It is for Vets

who need skilled services, case management, and assis-

tance with activities of daily living such as bathing and

getting dressed or instrumental activities of daily living

such as fixing meals and taking medicines; are isolated or

their caregiver is experiencing burden. Adult Day Health

Care can be used in combination with other Home and

Community Based Services. Health services such as care

from nurses, therapists, social workers, and others may

also be available. This program can provide respite care

(short-term, temporary relief ) for a family caregiver and

can also help Veterans and their caregiver gain skills to

manage the Veteran's care at home. It may be provided at

VA medical centers, State Veterans Homes, or communi-

ty organizations. For a list of State Veterans Homes loca-

tions, visit the National Association of State Veterans

Homes at http://www.nasvh.org/StateHomes/

statedir.cfm . You can also use the Helpful Websites

(http://www.va.gov/

GERIATRICS/Guide/

LongTermCare/

Helpful_Websites.asp)

listed in the Guide to

Long Term Care at to

locate Adult Day Health

Care programs.

Adult Day Health

Care can be a half-day or

full-day program. Usual-

ly, you would go to an

Adult Day Health Care center 2 to 3 times per week, but

you may be able to go up to 5 times a week. Based on

availability and need, you can create a regular schedule

that works for you and your family caregiver. You may

be able to get assistance with transportation to and from

the center. To help you figure out what long term care

services or settings may best meet your needs now or in

the future you can use a Shared Decision Making Work-

sheet at http://www.va.gov/GERIATRICS/Guide/

LongTermCare/

Shared_Decision_Making_Worksheet.pdf. . All enrolled

Veterans are eligible if they meet the clinical need for the

service and it is available. A co-payment may be charged

based on the veteran’s eligibility status and means test

criteria. To apply contact your VA social worker/case

manager to complete the Application for Extended Care

Benefits (VA Form 10-10EC). [Source: http://

www.va.gov/GERIATRICS/Guide/LongTermCare/

Adult_Day_Health_Care.asp# Apr 2013 ++]

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/MIGOP?ref=ts




The World War I Memorial

Foundation

From: www.wwimemorial.org

In March 2008, Frank Buckles, the last surviving

American veteran of World War I, visited the District of

Columbia War Memorial, on the National Mall in

Washington DC. He observed that this peaceful, secluded

memorial, dedicated in 1931 as a memorial to the 499

residents of the District of Columbia who gave their lives

in that war, sits neglected and in extreme disrepair, and

that there is no national memorial to World War I. Mr.

Buckles issued a call for the restoration and re-dedication

of the D.C. memorial as a National and District of Co-

lumbia World War I Memorial.

The World War I Memorial Foundation was

formed to make Frank Buckles’ dream a reality. The

mission of the Foundation is to advocate and raise funds

for the re-dedication of the DC War Memorial as a

national World War I memorial, dedicated to all those

Americans who served in the Great War.

In 2014 the world will mark the centennial of

World War I. Nearly 5 million Americans served during

the war, and 116,516 Americans died in defense of

democracy overseas. America’s support of its allies in

World War I marked the first time in this nation’s history

that American soldiers went abroad to defend foreign soil

against aggression -- and it marked the true beginning of

“the American century.”

Yet while the later conflicts of the 20th century -

World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War --

rightfully have national memorials on the National Mall,

there is no such memorial to “the Great War,” even

though more Americans gave their lives in World War I

than in Korea or Vietnam. The D.C. memorial, which is

already located adjacent to those other memorials, is the

most fitting site for a national World War I memorial.

Photo: The Late Frank Buckles during his 2008 visit to

the Washington D.C. World War I Monument.

Freedom is never more than one generation

away from extinction.

We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream.

It must be fought for, protected,

and handed on for them to do the same.

~Ronald Reagan

Dear Honored US Veterans and Your Families,

My name is Dr. Jack Grenan and I am a

psychologist and hypnotherapist who helps Veterans

their families and anyone else who asks for help. I will

be writing a column is this newsletter and I will be

answering questions sent to me at

[email protected]. I have counseled many

veterans with PTSD and I encourage any veteran who

may have a question to email me.

As far as PTSD any Veterans out there who

thinks that you may have PTSD probably does and

should speak to someone. Anyone who served their

country is a hero for sacrificing time away from home

and family to serve our Country and your fellow

servicemen and women! I look forward to

communicating with you every month! God Bless our

Veterans, troops currently serving, their families and

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jack Grenan

Please Support and listen to “Frontlines

of Fredom” Military Talk Radio Hosted

by Lt. Col. Denny Gillem. You can hear

it every Saturday at 1p.m. on 1260 AM

the Pledge (Zeeland, MI), or by visiting

the website at www.frontlinesoffreedom.com.

Or on Facebook by clicking here.

Thank you for your Support!

http://www.wwimemorial.org


http://www.frontlinesoffreedom.com

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Frontlines-of-Freedom/304096776999




We would like to express our appreciation to all of the fighting men and women in the United States Military.


Veterans Health

Benefits Handbook From: www.va.gov

The Depart-

ment of Veterans

Affairs (VA) is com-

mitted to informing the

Veteran community

about VA health bene-

fits and services.

Currently, VA is pro-

ducing personalized

Veteran Health Bene-

fits Handbooks for

Veterans who are

enrolled in VA health

care. The new hand-

books are tailored

specificfor each Veter-

an and provides detailed information about the VA health

services the Veteran may be eligible to receive.

The Veteran Health Benefit Handbook provides

answers to common questions such as contact infor-

mation for the Veteran's local facility, instructions on

how to schedule appointments, guidelines for communi-

cating treatment needs and an explanation of the

Veteran's responsibilities, such as co-pays, if applicable.

Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare will receive

their personalized handbooks via mail as part of a nation-

al rollout campaign starting in February 2012 based on

Priority Group, beginning with Priority Group 1 and

ending with Priority Group 8. In the near future, VA will

develop an online version of the handbook for Veterans

to access via MyHealtheVet. This will allow Veterans to

access their up-to-date health benefit information

anywhere, anytime.

Click the link below for additional information

about the Veterans Health Benefits Handbook or call VA

at 1 877-222-VETS (8387).

Spirit of the

American Flag By: Dale Hemphill-Designer, Spirit of America Flag

([email protected])

The Spirit of America Foundation is a non-profit

organization founded in 2001 by a naval veteran realizing

the need for historical recognition of American's heroes

and the sacrifices they made for our country.

The "Spirit of America" insignia shown above

was designed to recognize our men and women of the

military forces and the battles they fought.

As the Spirit of America Foundation continues its

mission to promote patriotism and the appreciation of our

veterans, it has expanded its reach to help veterans in

need in today's tough economy.

FORGOTTEN HEROES USA, LTD, supports

the missions of the Spirit of America Foundation by

offering patriotic products honoring America’s hardships

in history dating back to the Revolutionary War to

present day Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation

Iraqi Freedom. With each purchase, a percentage is

donated to the Spirit of America Foundation.

If you would like to help our cause by making a

purchase or donation please know that your generosity

will reach many others in their time of need. Please

review our web site for more information. If you have

any questions or comments please contact us via the

"Contact Us" page. Thank you!

Video: The Raising of the Spirit of America flag. At the

American war cemetery in Margraten in The Netherlands

on Sunday the 3rd of July 2011. Made by: RALPH84

Click Here to view the video.

https://www.myhealth.va.gov/index.html


http://www.forgottenheroesusa.com/contact-us2.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgxldxEHt2A&feature=youtu.be




For more information please visit www.supportamericanvets.org and

www.grassrootsationteam.org. More details coming soon. The Grassroots Action Team was created in order to advocate for Veterans and others about issues

concerning mental health parity and physical health. We will be doing this first and foremost by educating

people and making sure they are aware of the issues. Then we will make sure our leaders in Washington and at

the State level are aware of the issues and vote in favor of our Veterans. We will keep the pressure on to make

sure programs that are already in place as well as any new programs helping veterans are in fact implemented.

If you would like to make a donation or have ideas and/or suggestions for us please write to our

President, Hank Fuhs, Lt. Col., United States Air Force/ANG/USAF Reserves (ret.) at 3848 Leonard St. NE,

Grand Rapids, MI 49525 or email him [email protected] or [email protected].



http://www.supportamericanvets.org

http://www.grassrootsationteam.org






Dear Thunder Fans,

We wanted to reach out and let you know that we

have decided to change this year's dates of the Thunder

Over Michigan Air Show back to our traditional early

August time frame (August 10-11) to help accommodate a

bigger show, number and quality of performers, and an

overall better time for our loyal fans.

We have traditionally held the show in early

August but, we initially moved this year's show to

mid-June in order to accommodate the scheduling of the

United States Air Force Thunderbirds. With the Thunder-

birds' entire 2013 season, including a scheduled weekend

at Thunder Over Michigan, grounded due to the federal

budget sequestration, we sought to move the show back to

its usual August dates.

Early August is what our fans have come to

expect for Thunder and we are pleased that we can move

back to our normal dates. The August dates now allow us

to secure additional world-class performers, statics, and

displays; the weather is historically much better than in

June; and there is less conflict with other events then.

We recently announced the addition of a very rare

aerial demonstration by the North American Aviation

F-100 Super Sabre. The show will also feature

world-renowned civilian aerobatic performer Michael

Goulian, a demonstration by the only single-seat flyable

German Me-262 jet in the world, crowd-favorites WWII

and Vietnam battle reenactments, two specially-restored

Vietnam-era UH-1 Huey helicopters, and a special

"Vietnam Homecoming" celebration for Veterans. Click

Here to Learn More!

We have just begun releasing what is going to be

a very thrilling, unprecedented air show lineup. With the

change in dates, we will be announcing more exciting

lineup additions in the next several weeks. We thank you

for your ongoing support for the 2013 Thunder Over

Michigan Air Show.



http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001tt1C5iuStgJSo_VxUKMKSQEbOg7zwespYtHkYyLvKyvjArzQqkB5IDwojssldZJRPCaO6xy2PKZaYk7jDgki784NAceZeoDKK6AgDteRwT8YCKGFvBCId4QHty-Akd_SJ1ygiLwafso=

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001tt1C5iuStgJSo_VxUKMKSQEbOg7zwespYtHkYyLvKyvjArzQqkB5IDwojssldZJRPCaO6xy2PKZaYk7jDgki784NAceZeoDKK6AgDteRwT8YCKGFvBCId4QHty-Akd_SJ1ygiLwafso=




Rep. Ray Franz talks about the new Veterans

program "Hire Heroes" that can be found

online at - http://www.hireheroesusa.org/

For the link to the interview with Rep. Ray

Franz please Click Here

A Little Information about Hire Heroes From: www.hireheroesusa.org

Mission:

Hire Heroes USA (Hire Heroes) is dedicated to creating job opportunities for US military veterans and their spouses

through personalized employment training and corporate engagement. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, Hire

Heroes’ services are provided at no cost to the veteran.

“Creating the Opportunity.”

Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, Hire Heroes USA has built a national reputation of excellence for its success at

helping unemployed veterans find jobs – currently at the rate of one veteran confirmed hired every business day.

Our team is comprised of military veterans – many with combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan– and business veter-

ans. That mix of military and civilian experience has proven essential to effectively training veterans in the skills of

self-marketing and then networking them into good jobs with great companies.

The hallmark of the program is a personal approach where each veteran receives dedicated assistance from a highly-

trained staff member in order to help them overcome barriers to employment. To become part of this program, click on

the tab above that best suits your interest.



http://www.hireheroesusa.org/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xA2DYVjIJvE




Rep. Jim Stamas

Committee Chair

Welcome to the Military and

Veterans Affairs and Homeland

Security Committee. The committee's

regularly scheduled meeting time is

Wednesday at 9:00am in room 308 of

the House Office Building in

Lansing. I welcome citizens to

contact me or other committee members regarding bills

or proposals our committee is addressing. Individuals

needing special accommodations to participate in a

committee meeting may contact my office to request the

necessary assistance.

Military and Veterans Affairs

and Homeland Security

Committee Members

Jim Stamas (R) Committee Chair, 98th District

Ray Franz (R) Majority Vice-Chair, 101st District

Gail Haines (R) 43rd District

Kenneth Kurtz (R) 58th District

Tom Hooker (R) 77th District

Dale Zorn (R) 56th District

Joseph Graves (R) 51st District

Harvey Santana (D) Minority Vice-Chair, 9th District

George Darany (D) 15th District

Dian Slavens (D) 21st District

Brian Banks (D) 1st District

Henry Yanez (D) 25th District

Phil Cavanagh (D) 10th District

Ben Cook, Committee Clerk

517-373-2002

Two Great Sources for Veterans/Military Legislative Updates in Washington D.C.

Simply click the images to view the site.

http://house.michigan.gov/committeeinfo.asp?lstcommittees=military+and+veterans+affairs+and+homeland+security

http://www.house.mi.gov/MHRPublic/CommitteeInfo.aspx?comkey=235

http://www.house.mi.gov/MHRPublic/CommitteeInfo.aspx?comkey=235

http://www.gophouse.com/welcome.asp?District=098







http://009.housedems.com/







http://veterans.senate.gov/

http://veterans.house.gov/




Brain Injury

Association of

Michigan From: Rick Briggs, Major, USAF (Ret)

The Brain Injury Association of Michigan

(BIAMI) Veterans Program utilizes numerous types of

outdoor activities to gather Veterans and currently

serving military personnel together for a little R&R.

These special events are almost always free for the

troops depending totally on the kind donations of spon-

sors and donors. In addition to being a great way to say

“Thank you” for their service, these activities serve as

the mechanism to get the troops to open up a little if

they are having post-deployment issues. “Frequently

we find that in the comfortable confines with others

who have “been there, done that” they tend to be more

receptive to learn about Invisible Wounds” says Rick

Briggs the Program Manager, “both PTSD and TBI are

treatable if they seek the proper help.” To find out

more about these activities, or to donate to their

Veterans Program, please make out checks to “BIAMI

Veterans Program” and send them to 7305 Grand River

Suite #100, Brighton, MI 48114 or contact Rick

Briggs at [email protected] or call him (810) 229-

5880 or visit www.biami.org.

About the Brain Injury Asso-

ciation of Michigan (BIAMI):

BIAMI is celebrating its 30th Anniversary as it

continues to strive to provide persons with a brain injury

and their families, healthcare professionals, and the

general public with the resources necessary to enhance

brain injury awareness, education, prevention, and

support. BIAMI is also fields the first and only dedicated

Veterans Program staff within the Brain Injury Associa-

tion of America.

Legal Help for Veterans From: James G. Fausone

Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC is a law firm

located in Northville, Michigan. We have a national

practice representing veterans on veterans disability

claims. This representation occurs at the United States

Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the Board of

Veterans’ Appeals and regional offices. We have helped

veterans collect over $10,000,000 in retro and future

benefits. Over the last decade, LHFV has become a

trusted name in the legal community for providing legal

services to veterans and lecturing at law schools, bar

associations and community events.

Members of the Legal Help for Veterans practice

group are former service members who bring not only

legal expertise but an understanding of service and duty.

The members of the group have medical and administra-

tive backgrounds as well as finely honed legal skills

developed over twenty years of practice and experi-

ence. We have represented thousands of veterans and

currently have over 650 active clients.

For more information about the organization and

about legal help for veterans and for contact information

www.legalhelpforveterans.com and found on Twitter,

Facebook and YouTube. Our telephone number is

800.693.4800. Our blog discusses current issues facing

veterans and the VA.

Typically our clients are enlisted men and

women who served post Korea. The Vietnam vet is still

the one with the most common problems. These include

Agent Orange related disabilities, PTSD, psychiatric

or orthopedic injuries. Other vets often have hearing loss,

military sexual trauma or tinnitus. We are now seeing

Iraq and Afghanistan vets with TBI. Many vets do not

even begin the disability claim process until many years

after service. The trigger may be unemployability and

the need for benefits. With a million claim back log at

VA, it is a slow and confusing process and many people

need professional help establishing the proper diagnosis

and service connection. That is what Legal Help for

Veterans, PLLC has been doing for clients for years.


fighting men and women in the United States



http://www.biami.org

http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com




Stand Up For Veterans-They Stood Up For US -The DAV

In Closing Thank you for your service

to our country. It is truly the men

and women like you who make this

nation great, and we must never

forget that.

Thank you to everyone for all the help you

have given us with the newsletter. We have been able

to reach more people because of your help. Compared

to when we first started, the amount of input and ideas

we receive has increased greatly. For that we are very

thankful. If you have anything you would like to share,

any questions, or have an article idea, please let me

know.

You may contact us anytime at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Matthew X. Hauser and Lt. Col Hank Fuhs


fighting men and women in the United States


Lest We Forget-A Clip from Hank Fuhs

Lt. Col., USAF, Ret, ANG

(Just Click the Link Below) I Fought For You

News From American Legion Post 341 American Legion Post

341 is seeking the names of

troops that are deployed to a

combat zone so that we can

send them large package of

goodies and that their names

and address should be sent to

the address below.

Also post 341 is always

seeking new members please

contact Robert at the same address if interested.

American Legion Post 341

Sr. Vice Commander

Robert P. Goulet

6130 Nicholas

West Bloomfield, MI

[email protected]

Coordinator-

Matthew X. Hauser

Contributors-

Don Alsbro

Rick Briggs

Helen Budd

Sen. Patrick Colbeck

Sam Cottle

Rep. Kurt Damrow

Matt Davis

David Duenow

Vicki Dunlop

Mark Eddy

Keith Famie

James G. Fausone

Rep. Ray Franz

Sean M. Furr

Denny Gillem

Robert Goulet

Dr. Jack Grenan

John Haggard

Larry Harr

Dan Heckman

Dale Hemphill

John Hess

Norma Housey

Sec. of State Ruth Johnson

James Julian

Adrian Keogh

Adele Krovsky

Bill Langbehn

Merridy Lewis

Gary C. Lulenski

Claude McManus

Chad Miles

Louis Nigro

Roger Rosenberg

Sid Rubin

Eugene (Gene) A. Simon

Phil Smith

Sherry Swann

Tim Pascarella

Bob Tidmore

Rep. Fred Upton

Maureen VanHooser

Publisher-Hank Fuhs

Staff & Contributors

American Legion Post is in looking for current military members to send care

packages to. Please contact Robert Goulet if you know of any military member

who might like something. Please see “News From American Legion Post 341”

below for more information. Thank you very much!

In Memory of Gary Lillie


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgYLr_LfhLo





Hope you enjoyed the Newsletter!

Please let us know what you

thought.

Contact Matthew X. Hauser at

[email protected]

We need your help to grow the

Newsletter

We are looking for any contact information

of individuals or groups that you think

would either be interested in receiving our

newsletter or interested in writing articles.

If you know of anyone please let us know.

Sincerely,

Lt. Col. Hank Fuhs & Matthew X. Hauser

Freedom is never more than one generation

away from extinction.

We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream.

It must be fought for, protected,

and handed on for them to do the same.

~Ronald Reagan


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