VFW NC Leader Jul-Sept 2013

8/13/2019 VFW NC Leader Jul-Sept 2013

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Zebulon "Zeb" Alley of WaynesvillePost 5202, who has been the VFWDepartment of North Carolina's StateLegislative Chairman for over 25 years,died on Thursday, June 11th, at the age of84. He was an artillery forward observerin the Korean War, and received a BronzeStar for valor and a Purple Heart for hiscombat services in the conflict.He was known far and wide as a superb

legislative lobbyist, being ranked for16 years straight as North Caorlina'smost effective lobbyist. But althoughhe was hired by many heavy hittingfirms such as Progress Energy, DukeEnergy, Cigna, First Union, RJ. ReynoldsTobacco Company, General Motors andSprint, he had a special place in his heartfor veterans, particularly the Veterans of

Foreign Wars. All those years while hewas battling in the legislature for thosevarious companies, he always represent-ed the VFW and the agenda of the NorthCarolina Veterans' Council for free.

"Probably nobody has done more forveterans in the Tarheel State than ZebAlley," stated VFW State Adjutant/Quartermaster Bruce Edwards. "He usedto claim with a chuckle that in veterans'

affairs, he worked for me and the VFWDepartment of North Carolina. It was agreat honor to know him. There is sim-ply nobody else of his stature to advocateveterans' causes in the state legislature."

Persons wishing to donate funds tohelp veterans in lieu of sending flowers,should mail their check to VFWNC, 917

New Bern Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27601.Please annotate the lower left corner toread "Veterans Relief Fund." 100% ofthese funds will be used to assist NorthCarolina soldiers, veterans, and theirfamilies who have fallen through thecrack.

Alley, who was a member of WaynesvillePost 5202, grew up there, and practicedlaw there for 20 years, coming to Raleigh

in 1970 to serve in the State Senate.Staying in the capital city, he was hiredby legendary Governor Jim Hunt in 1981to help push Hunt's agenda through thelegislature. It was an unusual duo - thestraight-laced Hunt and the fun-lovingAlley, who enjoyed partying past mid-night with lawmakers and fellow lob-byists.

After leaving Hunt's office, Alley set upshop as a lobbyist and almost immediate-ly began lining up blue chip clients. Oneof his first major victories came in 1985,when the automobile industry hired himto help make North Carolina the firststate in the South to pass a law requiringpassengers to wear a seat belt.

It became rumored that some companieskept him on retainer just to make sure

that their opposition didn't hire him! Hewas ranked the legislature's most effec-tive lobbyist for eight consecutive ses-sions, or 16 years, by the nonpartisan NCCenter for Public Policy and Research.

Official Publication of the N.C. Department Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States

VOLUMENO. 77 THEVFWLEADER JUL/AUG/SEP2013

Inside:

Pg. 2 - Letters

Pg. 3 - Officers Columns

Pg. 4 - Feb. CofA

Pg. 9 - VA/Tricare Pg16 - Benefits

Pg. 10 - American Ride & Glide

Pg. 11 - Newton Post 5305 Pg. 12 - Carolina Field of Honor

VFW of North CarolinaPO Box 25337Raleigh, NC 27611-5337

Non-Profit OrgUS Postage

PAIDRermit No. 1838

Raleigh N.C.

VFW State Legislative Chairman, Zeb Alley, Passes Away

THE VFW LEADER

2013

WEHO

LDTHEFUTURE

Visit Your Post's WebsiteEvery post in North Carolina has their own website. It takes a minute

to visit your post's site. Just log in to:www.vfwnc.org

Zeb AlleyVFW State Legislative Chairman

Lou Diamond Phillips to Serve as VFW National SpokesmanKANSAS CITY, Mo., October 2, 2013- The VFW is pleased to announce thatrenowned actor Lou Diamond Phillipswill serve as the official VFW nationalspokesperson.

In addition to being an actor, director,producer and writer, Phillips is also aveterans' advocate. His biological father,Gerald Upchurch, was in the Navy, andPhillips was born on the Subic BayNaval Base in the Philippines. His ownname bears military roots, as he wasnamed after the World War II marinehero, Gunnery Sergeant Lewellyn'Lew' Diamond. His stepfather, GeorgePhillips, was also in the Navy, serving 2

tours in Vietnam.

Phillips' partnership with the VFWdemonstrates his deep commitment tothe veteran community. "I've always

been inspired by those who serve. I'mproud to be the voice of the VFW, anorganization that does tremendous workfor veterans," Phillips said.

As the VFW national spokesperson,Phillips will appear in a series of televi-sion and radio commercials designed toincrease awareness about the VFW's pro-grams and services available to veterans,service members and military families.He will also make appearances at various

VFW events.

"The VFW is excited to begin this out-standing relationship. Lou DiamondPhillips has established himself in the

entertainment industry with a successfuland varied career spanning decades. He'sa long-time supporter of veterans, andthis partnership proves his devotion tothe veteran cause," said VFW NationalCommander Bill Thien.

Phillips is a Golden Globe and TonyAward nominated actor who was intro-duced to audiences through his portray-al of Ritchie Valens in La Bamba andthen solidified his reputation through his

award-winning performance in Stand andDeliver. Phillips can currently be seen inthe award-winning film, Filly Brown,and the hit A&E series, "Longmire," inaddition to hosting "An Officer and a

Movie" on the Military Channel.

About the VFW: The Veterans of ForeignWars of the U.S. is a nonprofit veterans'service organization composed of com-bat veterans and eligible military servicemembers from the active, Guard andReserve forces. Founded in 1899 andchartered by Congress in 1936, the VFWis the nation's largest organization ofwar veterans and its oldest major veter-ans' organization. With nearly 2 million

VFW and Auxiliary members located inmore than 7,000 Posts worldwide, ''NOONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS."The VFW and its Auxiliaries are ded-icated to veterans' service, legislative

advocacy, and military and communityservice programs worldwide.

Bands 4 Good ChallengeThe Doing Good Network, support-ed by the VFW Department of NorthCarolina, has launched their Bands4GoodChallenge! Their website is now live andover 27 musicians have been selected toparticipate. The Bands4Good Challengeis an interactive online contest to raiseawareness and money for nonprofits thathelp our military veterans, active duty per-sonnel, and their families get the supportand assistance they need.

How does the Bands4Good Challengework? Musicians and their bands fromall over the state and all musical styleswere invited to participate. They werechallenged to write and record an original,cause-based song to upload the video forfans to view and vote for their favorites.The Bands4Good website is located at:baods4good.com/platform.

Anyone can view the artists' work andeach contestant has a microsite page of

information on their band. If you liketheir performance, you vote for them.Anyone can vote and there is no cost tovote once each day. The VFW's micrositeis at bands4good.com/2013challenge/mil-itary/nonprofit/vfwnc. If you vote thereby clicking the Green Voting Button, theDepartment of North Carolina will getcredit for your vote.

Like a particular performer? Tell the world!Share your like with everyone throughFacebook, Twitter and other social media.Spread the word, so that all your contactscan vote! The more votes secured by theVFW, the more possible charity money wecan receive in this program.

As this is a fundraising event, you canincrease your vote and add more votes foryour favorite band. The purchased votesare donations on their behalf. Voters alsoselect their favorite nonprofit and theirpurchased votes will be for their benefit.

Select the Veterans of Foreign Wars as yournonprofit of choice and the Departmentwill receive your donation. Votes can bepurchased in packages, such as 5 votesfor $5, 20 votes for $10, 100 votes for$50, and so on. All purchased votes arepaid into, accounted for, and distributedby the 501c(3) Doing Good CommunityFoundation, Inc. In this way, VFW sup-porters (not just VFW members) will knowtheir donation is secure and will receive atax deduction as well. Each participatingorganization, to include the VFW, has acode built into the voting website to insurethat monies donated by VFW supporterscome back to the Department.

Each music video is then ranked by thenumber of votes it gets, the judges' ratings,and the amount of dollars raised from votesfor that organization. The more fans thatvote, the more exposure the support groupreceives and the more dollars they raise.The completion builds to a "live" webcastconcert by the semi-finalists, which givesthe VFW supporters a final chance to pushtheir favorite video into the top spot andraise even more money.

No less than 70 of the money raised goesdirectly to benefit participating nonprof-its.


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Page 2 JUL/AUG/SEP2013 THEVFW LEADER

The VFW Leader is publishedquarterly by the Department ofNorth Carolina Veterans of Foreign

Wars at 917 New Bern Avenue,Raleigh, North Carolina.

Editor.......................Bruce Edwards

News stories, photographs and othermatters for publication should beaddressed to Editor, VFW Leader,P.O. Box 25337, Raleigh, N.C.27611.

Correspondence regarding sub-scription and circulation should beaddressed to VFW Leader, P.O. Box25337, Raleigh, N.C. 27611.

"Department Headquarters normaloperating hours 8:30 a.m. - 4:30p.m. Monday thru Friday. Closed

for holidays: New Years Day, MartinLuther King's Birthday, Good Friday,Memorial Day, Fourth of July, LaborDay, Veterans Day, ThanksgivingDay, Christmas Day."

THEVFW LEADER

Letters to the Editor

Good Day,

The Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fundhonors the bravery and dedicationexhibited by Americans in our ArmedForces who have sacrificed life or limbdefending our country by providingeducational scholarships to their chil-dren. Thousands of Soldiers, Sailors,

Airmen, Marines , and Guardsmen havebeen killed defending our great nationand it is our honor to help them achievethe dream of a college education.

Thousands more members of our ArmedForces have been permanently disabled,leaving their families in difficult finan-cial situations. Their children - the sonsand daughters of America's militaryheroes(many of whom are now young)

will be eligible for a Freedom AllianceScholarship in the years to come.

Freedom Alliance has established a per-manent Scholarship Trust Fund to aidthe children of these brave Americans, so

that we will be able to help the childrenof American heroes when it is their turnto attend college.

Through the generosity of so many patri-otic Americans, the Freedom AllianceScholarship Fund will provide scholar-ships for thousands of young Americans,reminding them that their parents' sacri-fice will never be forgotten by a gratefulnation.

There are still scholarships available forthe Fall 2013 Academic year. There isno deadline for scholarship applicationsas it is a rolling admission. Please helpus reach as many children of our ser-

vicemen as possible. If you have anyquestions about the Freedom AllianceScholarship Fund, or want any moreinformation on how to apply, please call1-800-475-6620 or email us at [email protected].

Very respectfully,Freedom Alliance

State News SubscriptionsPosts throughout the state arepublishing stories about localactivities. Are you getting to seethem?Everyone is encouraged to sub-scribe to the free on-line Veteransof Foreign Wars North CarolinaNews feed. It is easy and willensure that you will know what isgoing on around the district andaround the state.

Local news items get publishedby individual posts and the statewebsite locates new news items forbroadcast as subscription news. Itis All My VFW NC News.

How do you subscribe? Just go tothe state website and scan down tothe subscription box. Visit http://vfwnc.org and look for:

Enter your email address to receive news from the My VFW NC Website

Subscribe

FOR A SPOT ON THE LEADER, VISIT THE NC WEBSITE SCAN HERE

From VFW National Council Member JimGoins

Greetings Comrades, I hope all is well withinyour post. I wanted to brin g you up to spee don a few items. I have recently returned fromKansas City. I attended the National Council ofAdministration meeting. Our National CharterSec. 230101 -Organization currently only refersto men who as soldiers, sailors, marines, andairman served this Nation in wars, campaigns,on foreign soil or in hostile waters, is a federallychartered organization. The council was con-cerned that it does not state women who nowserve in combat roles. It was brought to ourattention for us to change this would have to gobefore Congress. On behalf of our great womencomrades the National Headquarters will drawup a resolution to Congress to include menand women as above to our National Charter.I hope that you agree as this is long over due.Our new 2014 Podium shuould be available in

the very near future if you haven't gotten onealready. Anyone desiring a life membership can

do so in installments and well as Legacy Life. Itwas suggested to m e that due to the cost that ifone desires to go this route that they start withSilver and once complete whenever you desireyou ca n go to the next level a nd do the sameuntil you reach Gold Life Legacy. There is addi-tional information I will share with you at theCoA. This is information for post and district.I thought this above information was excitingand well deserved of our women fighting war-riors. Well done comrades. I appreciate eachand every one of you. Don't worry ladies, I havenot forgotten about you. I hope you know thatwe a s an organization depen d on you for sup-port and assistance in this organization, with-out "YOU", things would be a lot harder on us.

Thank You for being a part of this great orga-nization. May GOD BLESS YOU AND OURUNITED STATES.

Getting the Word OutChapel Hill - Lee Heavlin, blogmaster

Does your post have an identity prob-lem? Do you do a lot, but the local paperignores you? Do your post members missout on what is going on because theydon't get to meetings? If yes, you are notgetting the word out.

What can a post do? Go into the publish-ing business and start its own newspaperto publish post stories. A post can usethe VFW NC Department website that isprovided to each post at no cost.

Posts can use the information now flow-ing in emails. News coming in to thepost commander, adjutant, quartermas-ter can be cut and pasted into a newsstory for the web. Stories on post web-sites are monitored and picked up dailyfor state-wide distribution.

When post stories are broadcast by thestate, every subscriber gets to see whatis going on at another post. If a post inDurham is hosting a special event or a

veterans' stand down, everyone gets theinformation. Your event may encourageother posts to try the same thing.

Local newspapers and radio stations

troll the web for veterans information,people to talk to, people honor, and

for participants in patriotic events. Poststories are often selected to be reprintedin local papers as letters to the editor oropinion pieces. Our views are important!

Local schools have patriotic projects andstudents look to the internet for infor-mation on flag retirements, holidays, thehistory of local veterans and more. Whatis on the web about your veterans?

Another added benefit that is millionsof people have the opportunity to view

what you are writing. Did you know thata short Calabash story on Tuskegee air-men gets read about 300 times a day andthis has been going on for about a year!Our VFW web sites are getting read!

Post web sites also put a face on a localpost. This is invaluable to students seek-

ing information on a post to submittheir Voice of Democracy, Patriot's Pen,or Scouting Scholarship application.Some posts report that they get inqui-ries from Virginia and Tennessee fromNorth Carolina students away at board-ing school. Their home is here and theyneed to submit an application.

VFW Post web sites were given a new

look two years ago. Adding informationis easier and we use WordPress as the

software of choice. We load the softwareon a central server and give each post atemplate and space on the server. Thereis absolutely no cost to the posts. No feesfor access and no monthly charges forserver use.

Some posts are worried about the com-plexity of using their website. If some-one can create email, then the post hasthe talent needed. Also, the system isdesigned to be passed on to another postmember to manage. We just grant accessand all existing information stays on-lineand just as it was before the blogmasterschanged.

Want more information? Just look atthe state website at http://vfwnc.org andlook under TOOLS for details on thepost websites, how to use them, and how

to add impact to your post stories. Youwill also find information on how togain access and a password.

Are you ready to put on your editor'svisor and start your post on-line news-paper?

12th Anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001The 12th Anniversary of the terroristattacks of September 11, 2001 is a timefor all North Carolinians torefleet on thesacrifices of those volunteers willing topay the burden for a "Freedom That isNot Free." Last week, USA Today rana story lamenting the decline in popu-lar support for the war in Afghanistan,

making our engagement there not onlyour nation's longest, but its least pop-ular war. That is truly amazing to me asan "on the street" witness to the horrorsand tragedy of 9/11 as well as a veteranof these modem conflicts.

How does a war go from being our mostpopular to our least? This is partially aresidual effect of our all-volunteer force

which has shifted the burden of our safe-ty to a smaller population of servicemenand women. In the past, six troops mayhave served a tour in Vietnam. Today, itis one troop serving six times. In fact myfriend Mike Duskin, a Chief Warrantofficer and assistant "A-Team" leader

with the Third Special Forces Group, waskilled on his 7th post-9/11 deployment."Big Mike" left behind a wife, three chil-

dren and a lot of people that miss him.

It is for the heroes like "Big Mike" thatwe must not allow the anniversary ofSeptember 11 to pass without acknowl-edging our veterans, their families andtheir many many sacrifices.

The composition of our all-volunteerforce has changed since the 1973 end ofthe draft. Today's volunteers draw moreoften from the South as evidenced byenlistments as well as casualties. In fact,Southern States have sustained casual-ty rates on average two or three timeshigher than their Northern brethren.Here in North Carolina we have feltthat pain in a unique way. We are hometo all the branches of the U.S. Militaryand Coast Guard but the toll has beenfelt heaviest in the communities of Ft.

Bragg and Camp Lejeune, with some ofthe prime ground combat elements ofboth the U.S. Army and the U.S. MarineCorps as well as 12,000 members ofthe North Carolina National Guard. Weare also home to the U.S. Army SpecialForces (the "Green Berets") and theMarine Special Operations Command(MARSOC), No other state boasts theheadquarters of two of the greatest spe-cial operations groups in the world.

The North Carolina National Guard haslost over 26 Killed in operations in the

wake of 9/11, including four aircrew lostwhile battling wildfires in South Dakota.In total, our state has sustained over 900killed and wounded in Iraq and over 400killed and wounded in Afghanistan, butsacrifice is nothing new to North

Carolinians. This October 23rd willmark the 30th Anniversary of the bomb-ing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut,

which shook our Corps and our nation toits roots. The memorial in Jacksonville,NC honors the 220 Marines, 18 sailorsand three soldiers that were stationed atCamp Lejeune with the 1st Battalion 8thMarines.

Some may ask, "What does 9/11 haveto do with veterans?" Everything. As anation we can never be grateful enoughto these men and women who haverisked life and limb in the wake of ourgeneration's Pearl Harbor. But there ismore. Honoring our veterans today, andeveryday, pays some important dividendstomorrow in both national security andeconomic prosperity.

The way that we take care of our veteranstoday is witnessed by our children andin turn inspires a future generation toserve and sacrifice ... or not. Tomorrow'sSoldiers, Marines and Sailors are still intheir diapers or in elementary school,but they are watching all of you to seehow a society honors its veterans, its

wounded and its lost. Consider that aprivate enlisting today may have beenborn in 1995 and was just six years oldon 9/11.

For those unconcerned with defense orunconnected to the military let me putthis in terms of the bottom line: Veteranshelp drive our economy.

With the leadership of Governor PatMcCrory, North Carolina is working

to be the MOST veteran friendly statein America, not only because it is theright thing to do, they deserve our grat-itude and respect, but because veteransbuild businesses and give back to theircommunities and we want them here inNorth Carolina. Sequestration meansthat some of our bases will be downsiz-ing, but we want those veterans to stayand to choose to live, work and raisefamilies here. We want them to educatethemselves here, start businesses here

and retire here. Nearly 1 in 10 smallbusinesses in America are owned by vet-erans who cumulatively account for over$1 trillon dollars in receipts and employover 6 million people.

Its not just small business entrepreneurs(45 percent of veterans are likely to

be self-employed), its big business too.Fortune 500 CEOs are often veterans:

James Mulva (ConocoPhillips), DanielAkerson (General Motors), LowellMcAdam (Verizon), Robert McDonald(Procter& Gamble), Alex Gorsky(Johnson & Johnson), Robert Stevens(Lockheed Martin), Fred Smith (FedEx),and James Skinner (McDonalds).

Beyond our duty to take care of thosewho take care of us, how we treat ourveterans has real consequences. So letus begin on this anniversary of 9/11 torecognize the tremendous contributionsof our veterans and their families on andoff the battlefield. Their selfless servicetypifies the greatest love a man can have:giving a life for a brother.

The newly renovated

and painted VFW State

Recruiting Trailer is

available for sign out

and pick up by

contacting the State

VFW

Headquarters at

919-828-5058.

It comes complete with

recruiting documents &

Patriotic Giveaways.

WINNERS OF THE 2013-14VFW LEADER

NEWSPAPER RAFFLE$10,000 - James R. Peterson, Jr.

of Las Vegas, Nevada.$2,000 - Joseph A. Lutheran of Newport, NC

$1,000 - Robert L. Barrs of Linden, NC$500 - G. Bruce Sprinkle of King, NC

$500 - Joyce Preston of Tryon, NC-:

By Ilario Patano, Director NC Division of Veterans Affairs


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how much you know until theyknow how much you care. Be aforce in your post. Nothing canhappen in your post without

your approval. Do not let thegood works of your post erodebecause you the members do notcome to the monthly post meet-ings. You the individual memberare the most important elementof our organization. Nothinghappens without your say soand vote. If you don't attend themeetings then you send a mes-sage to the leadership that what-ever they do is okay with you.

Always remember what the pur-pose of the Veterans of Foreign

Wars is about, we are here toserve all veterans. We all tookan oath when we answered ourcountries call or volunteeredto serve and protect this greatcountry of ours. It's now timefor us to protect all veterans

who served and were promisedthat we would be taken care ofafter our time in the service. Wecan only do that by maintain-ing our membership numbersbut increase them so we remainstrong in numbers.

"Believe in what you do-Dowhat you believe in."

Thank you for what you did inthe past-what you do today-and

what you will do in the future.Thank you for what you do forall veterans

Yours,Jack Goin

Comrades,The first quarter is behind us,and it has been a busy one. Withthe National Convention, FlyingSquadrons and our District meet-ings, time has been flying-by. I wasvery pleased to see that so manyof you have shown interest inthe Flying Squadrons' Training. I

hope you have learned somethingnew that will prove useful at yourPosts. My sincere thanks to Posts2514 New Bern, 5631 Sanford,and 5206 Hendersonville forhosting all of us.

To the Comrades, ladies, andMen's Auxiliaries who workedhard to make our stay (and meals)enjoyable - Outstanding Job!

I would like to share with you arecent event I attended on yourbehalf by representing the VFW.Here is the reprinted article fromthe Observer for all of you toenjoy.

RALEIGH, N.C. - The militaryand North Carolina politicianscelebrated the 100th birthday ofone of the U.S. Navy's originalSeabees on Tuesday as Jerry Smithwas feted at the governor's man-sion with speeches, special flagsand other souvenirs.

But it was Smith who stole the

show. The Durham resident, whoenlisted in the Navy in 1942 andbecame a member of the FirstNaval Construction Battalionwith the famous nickname, saidhe had never felt so honored inhis life.

"When you get my age, you onlyhave a few words left," Smith saidto laughter at the close of the cere-mony. But he added: "I have beenblessed so much in my life, andI've had a wonderful life."

Smith, a Kinston native, served inthe Navy for more than three years,working in the Pacific theateras he and other Navy tradesmenbuilt airfields and a hospital tohelp the war effort. After return-ing from the war, he worked for30 years in the building supplybusiness, and later worked in thefuneral business before retiringat 95.

Politicians and officials from theNavy, Marine Corps and NorthCarolina National Guard laudedSmith's generation for its militaryservice, and Smith himself for hisresilience. Born on Aug. 27, 1913,weighing only 1 pound, 8 ounces,Smith survived thanks in part tohis grandmother's resolve to carefor him, U.S. Sen. Richard Burrtold the several dozen in atten-dance.

"Jerry started this world as a chal-lenge at best," Burr said beforepresenting him with an Americanflag that flew over the U.S.Capitol. He added: "There's no

person of my generation that canthank those of you that foughtthe Second World War sufficient-ly for the sacrifices you made, forthe opportunities that we havetoday."

Maj. Gen. Greg Lusk, adjutantgeneral of the North CarolinaNational Guard, and Rear Admiral

Douglas Morton, commanderof Naval Facilities EngineeringCommand Atlantic, also present-ed him with flags. Morton saidSmith and others had faith whileliving on ships during World WarII that the new Seabees would

make a difference.

"You left a legacy that I can carry-on today," said Morton, a NorthCarolina native.

Gov. Pat McCrory couldn't attendbecause of his schedule, but Lt.Gov. Dan Forest presented toSmith on his behalf the Order ofthe Long Leaf Pine award. Smith,who attended the event with wife,Betty, and his daughter, Beverly,has failing eyesight but walked tothe lectern by himself to receive itand make remarks.

Earlier in the event, Forest recalledwhat was going on 100 years ago:

Woodrow Wilson was president,Henry Ford began his assemblyline process to manufacture carsand World War I hadn't begun.Forest looked at Smith - walkingtall with a full head of hair andsharp wit - and quipped: "Jerry,you don't look a day over 67."

Smith took pleasure in the com-pliments, telling Forest it's a goodsign: "That means I'm going tostay here a long time. "

Commanders Note: Jerry is a lifemember in our organization andit was with humility and prideI was able to shake this man'shand, and thank him for his ser-

vice. What a unique privilege youhave all given me to meet thisremarkable person and celebratehis legacy and that of the VFW.

As we begin preparation for thenext quarter, armed with newinformation and training, thereremains much to do. After we allget a well-deserved rest, we need

to focus our energies to insurethat our progress will continue.Of particular interest this quar-ter, I would like to share somethoughts with you regarding fam-ilies, communities, and memberswe have not seen for awhile.

All posts located near a NationalGuard or Reserve unit need toconsider utilizing the popularAdopt-A-Unit program to assistthe unit members and their fam-ilies. Contact Bill Green to nav-igate the process of adoption.He is well versed in the rulesand applications and is ready tohelp. Bill is the National MilitaryServices Chairman and his phonenumber is on the State roster.This is a worthwhile programand as a post, you will not regretgetting involved. The families areappreciative of our efforts and wemake lasting relationships.

At a couple of meetings, I haveheard the statement "we don'tdo community service; we're hereonly for the veterans". Comrades,it is true that our first and foremostpriority is veterans. However, ourmission includes the communitieswhere all service men and womenlive. We must strive to be good willambassadors in all communitiesacross the state. We honor thosewho have served and honor thedeparted who served by helpingthe living. Our activities in ourcommunities keep our missionpublic. This helps us two fold -in participation of our outreachprograms, along with our visibil-ity to veterans in and around our

communities. I strongly encour-age you, your posts, and districts,to consider educational, patriotic,and other worthwhile commu-nity services as an integral partof your mission. As always, ifyour post is having problems,or you do not understand some-thing, pick up the phone and giveus a call, send an email, or snail

mail. Someone will be there tohelp. You have line officers whocare about your concerns and pastdepartment commanders locatedacross the state that can assist youand offer help or advice. In addi-tion, these past commanders and

current line officers offer a wealthof knowledge and experience, andhave "been there, done that". Youmay have noticed that changesare starting to happen, and thatwe are a team dedicated to doingwhatever it takes to make ourstate successful and our membersproud of their affiliation.

No problem is insurmountable;unless left unattended. If youthink nobody notices, or nobodycares, think again. Remember, youhave a responsibility and owner-ship of what goes on in your post,district, and at department. Knowyour by-laws, and follow throughaccordingly. Any problem can

(and should) be dealt with earlyon. Take the Barney Fife approachand "nip it in the bud" before itbecomes unmanageable.

In closing, I would like to remindeveryone that we have comradesout there who for whatever rea-son can't get out and about. Wemiss them at the C of A's andregular meetings. One of our PastDepartment Commanders, MikeBurris, has been noticeably absentas of late, and having difficultiesgetting out to be with us for quitesome time. He and others acrossthe state have been unable totravel or attend VFW gatherings.Take the time to stop by, make a

call, or send a note. let them knowyou are thinking of them and missthem; hoping to see them again,soon.

Until the next meeting,Yours in Comradeship,Ernie AllisCommander

THEVFW LEADER JUL/AUG/SEP2013 Page 3

COMMANDERSCOLUMN

Sometimes, I find myself in awe ofthe different calendars I have in mylife. How a year begins and how itdoesn't always start at the same time.There is the year as we know it onour calendars at home. There is theGovernments "Fiscal" year. And there

is the year the VFW uses. While spring-time is over and fall has begun, it is thebeginning of the VFW's program year.Elections are over, Installations heldand Conventions ended, now we startto work.

At the Spring CofA, I want to schedulea time to meet with our Chaplains. Thetime and location will be announced. Itisn't an official meeting, but a fellow-ship gathering. This is a chance for allChaplains, no matter what level and no

matter what membership, to meet andshare ideas or thoughts. To share "bestpractices" or areas of concern. Thereare three projects I hope to expand onthis year and all are based on the "key-stone" of communication. Effectivecommunication is when there is both

a working transmitter and a workingreceiver. I want to hear your ideas. Iwant to know how you feel I can assistyou in your position as Chaplain. Sopass the word, have your Chaplain inthe loop. Your Chaplain can't attend,but you feel they would be interested inwhat is passed? Come in their place andgive them the info.

I start this year as I did last year, readyto work! I have one year of VFW Depteducation under my belt. What does

that mean? I know enough to know Idon't know, but know how to ask. Bythe grace of our Lord, I will only be asgood in this position as the member-ship will allow. You need me, you callme. Until then, may God Bless!

CHAPLAINSCOLUMN

SR SMITH

SR. VICECOMMANDERCOLUMN

JACKGOIN

Greetings Comrades,

I hope you all had a safe and

good summer. It is now timeto get down to business in yourposts and districts. You shouldall be working on our core pro-grams for the year. We heldour flying squadron trainingsession's during the month of

August. All of the Departmentchairpersons and presenter'ssupplied your officers with thetools needed to participate inthe programs for this year. Itis now up to you the leaders ofour great organization to fulfill

you duties for which you tookthe oath of office when yourmembership elected you.

I challenge all of our membersto ask themselves why did I jointhis great organization. All ofus joined for a reason and formost of us it was to give back---not to take. No one knows

ERNIEALLIS

JSR. VICECOMMANDERCOLUMN

JESSIEBELLFLOWERS

Comrades,

I would like to personally thank all

of you for having trust and confi-dence in me as your State Junior ViceCommander for the coming year. I amhumbled and proud to serve you! I

feel that State Commander Ernie Allis,State Senior Vice Commander JackGoin and myself make a great leader-ship team, but we cannot do it alone.

Also, I would like to thank all thecomrades, ladies auxiliary and men'sauxiliary members, and departmentlevel presenters for attending our threeflying squadron training sessions. Eachof these sessions were outstanding andlike you, I learned a lot myself! In fact,it was very impressive to see a lot ofnew post commanders and quartermas-ters in attendance. Now let's take thisinformation and share it during yourdistrict and post meetings. It is timeto crack up district and post inspec-tions, core programs, and membership.Remember, participation in all threecore programs is a requirement for All-State and All-American status.

Let's not forget that our LadiesAuxiliary and Men's Auxiliary are veryimportant parts of our organization,

and a valuable resource for volunteersto assist in our many programs andactivities. Please include both auxil-iaries in all your post functions! I am

positive that as a team, we can over-come any challenge we face and accom-plish every goal we set as we strive toserve our veterans and their families.

Again, I would like to thank all of youfor electing me as your State JuniorVice Commander. Please feel free tocontact any of us at the state level ifyou need guidance, assistance, or ifyou have any questions. I look forwardto serving you - "One Team, ServingVeterans." May God continue to blessour troops, their families, and our greatnation.

Yours in comradeship,Jessie BellflowersState Junior Vice Commander


4/8


C of A Set for FebThe Department of NorthCarolina has announced that itsnext Council of Administrationmeeting will be held at the EmbassySuites hotel in Greensboro from7-9 February 2014. The EmbassySuites is located just off-40 at Exit

210, and can be easily seen fromthe interstate highway.

The last Council meeting, heldfrom 4-6 October 2013, at thesame location, was a great success.Chief among the decisions made

was to make The VFW Leadernewspaper primarily an electronicproduct, but also insuring that allcomrades/members who send inthe coupon on the front of thisissue will continue to receive apaper copy. The coupon will befeatured on the front page of theDecember and March issues as

well, to insure that all comradesget a chance to ask for their papercopy, and it will be mailed severaltimes to all posts for further dis-tribution.

The theme for the FebruaryCouncil meeting is the Voice ofDemocracy/Patriot Pen Banquetand competitions. Dress code willbe formal for those who wish to

wear tuxedo's or gowns. If not,comrades are requested to wearcoat and tie and ladies a nice dressor pant suit to the banquet. All 17

winners of the VOD contest fromthe 17 districts are expected tobe at the banquet, and the top 3

Patriot Pen winners will be thereas well. On the VOD side of thehouse, which is an oral essay com-petition for high schoolers, thefirst place winner receives $3000in scholarships, $1500 for the sec-ond place winner, and $1000 forthe third place winner. On thePatriot Pen side, which is a writ-ten essay competition for middleschoolers, first place gets a $500check, second place $400, andthird place $300.

Attendees can call the EmbassySuites for reservations at 336-668-4535, and asking for the VFW rateof $115. The cost of the suite alsoentitles all the attendees to a freehot breakfast each morning andtwo free drinks at the Manager'sReception each evening.

In addition, the Department willhost a large hospitality room withDJ music.

National Convention By-LawsThe VFW National Convention

floor met in Louisville, Kentucky,in July of this year, and passedseveral important changes to theNational By-Laws and Manualof Procedure. These changes willappear in the 2013-14 editionof the Podium Edition of theBy-Laws, but listed below are themajor changes.

First, a $10 dues increase forannual members was approved,to include continuous, reinstated,and new members. Posts do notneed to increase their post duesto meet this increase, as NationalHeadquarters will automaticallyraise all post dues amounts by the$10 on 1 January 2014. For exam-

ple, if a post dues are currently$30 per year, they will automat-ically become $40 per year on 1January. Of this amount, $1 willbe returned to the DepartmentHeadquarters, $2 will be budget-ed at the discretion of the NationalCouncil of Administration, and$6 will go toward the VFW's

national and state-level veterans'

service programs. These mon-ies will help the Department ofNorth Carolina to pay for our vet-erans' service program out of theVA Regional Center in Winston-Salem, where State Service OfficerCleo Summers has an office and anassistant. Further, this means thatwhen a post quartermaster sendsin the National/Department por-tion of the post dues to National,which is now set at $21.25, thiswill become $31.25 effective 1January.

Second, the post-level offices ofSurgeon and Judge Advocate arenow appointive, instead of elec-tive offices. Since each comrade

can hold one elective office atthe post level and any numberof appointive offices, this means,for example, that the SeniorVice Commander could be theSurgeon or the Quartermastercould be the Judge Advocate.This leaves the elective officesof the post as the Commander,

Senior Vice Commander, Junior

Vice Commander, Quartermaster,Chaplain, and three Trustees.Therefore, current possibleappointive offices are Surgeon,Judge Advocate, Adjutant, Officerof the Day, Service Officer, andGuard.

Third, it is clarified that elect-ed committee members are notofficers at the Department level,and may hold a different electiveoffice. Fourth, there was no pro-posal or vote this year to combinethe Ladies and Men's Auxiliaryorganizations or to give a Nationalstructure to the Men's Auxiliary.

Fifth, when a post or district is

suspended, instead of a SpecialBoard of Trustees being appoint-ed to oversee their affairs, anAdministrative Committee will beappointed. This committee willhave the same powers as a currentSpecial Board of Trustees.

Cedar Point GirlBuddy Poppy QueenHaley Brianna Ipock, age 12 of

Cedar Point, North Carolina,has been named as the BuddyPoppy Queen for this year.She is the granddaughter ofNelson and Rosa Smallwood ofNewport, and was sponsoredby Swansboro Post 9960.

Haley was chosen for this honorover five other nominees, allof whom would have made afine Queen. There is no BuddyPoppy King this year, as therewere no boy nominees. TheBuddy Poppy King and Queencontest is unique to NorthCarolina, and honors one boy

and one girl who have givenextensive time to honor veter-ans and use the Buddy Poppy.Haley has been in Veterans Dayparades, handing out poppies,and has participated in numer-ous poppy drives. She alsohelps decorate floats for the VA parade, hands out flags toveterans at the post MemorialDay Cook-out, helps veterans'widows and wives with yardwork, volunteers an the postbingo operation, and volun-teers at the Carteret CountyHumane Society.

The following is the speechHaley delivered at the BuddyPoppy Queen Reception at theEmbassy Suites hotel at theFall Council of Administrationmeeting on Saturday, 5October: "Since 1918, thissmall red flower, inspired bythe poem 'In Flander's Fileds,'has been adopted by veter-ans' organizations around theworld as a reminder of whatour veterans have sacrificed.All donations raised from theBuddy Poppies are used to helpveterans, active duty personnel,widows, and children that are

in need of help.

I have been helping with theBuddy Poppies since I was a lit-tle girl. I help my Nannie andPoppy decorate floats to pull

in the Veterans' Day Paradefor about 9 years. I also goon the Buddy Poppy drivesto get donations to help peo-ple. You never sell a BuddyPoppy - when somebody askshow much they cost, I justsay whatever you can donateis appreciated. I tell them themoney goes to help veterans,and the VFW's National Homefor Children and whateverassistance they need.

The donations also help withthe income of the disabled vet-erans that make the poppies.

As a granddaughter of a vet-eran and a great-granddaugh-ter of three veterans, and agreat-greatgranddaughter of aveteran, the poppy drive is myway of saying Thank You to allactive duty and veterans for myfreedom and for the freedom ofeveryone in America.

When you hold a Buddy Poppyin your hand and you thinkabout all the lives that have beenlost, I am very thankful for myfamily, friends, and God, andour veterans and their families.

I know they need all the helpthey can get. That is why theBuddy Poppy is so important.

God Bless America!!"

Haley Brianna Ipock

Please share, and let's help thisyoung boy scout build a War on

Terror Memorial.

David Griffith is a Boy Scoutfrom Fuquay-Varina, NC. Heis working to build a War onTerror memorial at the HollySprings Veterans Park, in HollySprings, NC. The endeavorstarted as an Eagle Scout proj-ect to honor David's broth-er who died in Afghanistan inDecember, 2011. It has growninto a memorial to honor every-one who has paid the ultimatesacrifice for this great nationsince September 11, 2001. Thememorial will be located in a

tranquil setting, at the HollySprings Veterans Park, whereit can be seen daily by men,women, & children. It will con-tain a large pentagonshapedpiece of granite, as well as a

piece of metal from the WorldTrade Center.

Please help support the Waron Terror Memorial. David isselling personalized bricks tofund the project. He needs tosell 1000 bricks, and he stillhas a ways to go. The plan isto have the memorial complet-ed in time for a dedication onSaturday, June 14, 2014. Thatday has special meaning, as it isboth Flag Day, and the birthdayof David's brother, who was theinspiration for the project.

Learn more about the proj ecthere: thatsmybrick.com/eagle-

scoutdg. Purchase a personalized brick here: www.thatsmy-br ick . com/ea g l e scou tdg /design-brick.php.

Watch a video about David

from ABC 11, in Raleigh,NC: Labclocal.go.com/

wtvd /s tory ?s ection =news/local&id=9153314

Anyone can support this proj-ect. David already has dona-tions from all over the nation,as well as some foreign coun-tries.

"For those who have fought forit, freedom has a flavor the pro-tected will never know".

Andrew L. JacksonNCNG Transition AssistanceAdvisor Office: 919-664-65731-800-621-4136 ex 46573 Cell:

919-810-64124105 Reedy Creek RoadRaleigh, NC 27607And rew.l. jackson8. ctr @mail.mil

Boy Scout Trying to BuildWar on Terror Memorial


5/8

THEVFW LEADER JUL/AUG/SEP2013 PAGE9

VA & Tricare NewsTRICARE PRIME SERVICEAREA PSA REDUCTIONSAs of 1 October 2013, TricarePrime will no longer be availableto beneficiaries living in certainareas in the United States. PrimeService Areas (PSAs) are geo-

graphic areas where Tricare Primeis offered. PSAs were created toensure medical readiness of theactive duty force by augmentingthe capability and capacity of mil-itary treatment facilities (MTFs).The affected areas are not closeto existing MTFs and have neveraugmented care around MTF orBase Realignment and Closure(BRAC) locations.

IMPACT ON TRICARE PRIMEENROLLEES ACTIVE DUTYSERVICE MEMBERS: Tricareenrollments for active duty ser-vice members, including activat-ed National Guard and Reserve

members, will not be affected byPSA reductions. They will remainenrolled in Tricare Prime orTricare Prime Remote, as appro-priate.

ACTIVE DUTY FAMILY MEMBERS: Active duty family mem-bers enrolled in Tricare Primein affected PSAs will remain inTricare Prime as long as they arein the same location and eligi-ble. As always, active duty familymembers also have the option ofusing the Tricare Standard pro-gram.

RETIREES AND DEPENDENTS: Retirees and their familymembers who are not enrolled ina remaining PSA will be disen-rolled from Tricare Prime as ofOctober 1, 2013. Those affect-ed have the option of using theTricare Standard program, whichis the basic entitlement by law, orTricare Extra. Tricare Extra offersadditional savings to beneficia-ries who use network providers.Retirees and family Tricare Primeat an MTF or with a primarycare manager in a remaining PSA.To do so, they must fill out anew Tricare Prime EnrollmentApplication and Primary Care

Manager (PCM) Change Form(DD Form 2876) and sign SectionV waiving their drive-time stan-dards. Beneficiaries should beaware that waiving drive-timestandards may require them todrive long distances for primaryand specialty care.

TRICARE VOUNG ADULTTVA PRIME: TYA Prime enroll-ees affected by PSA changes whohave active duty sponsors mayremain in TYA Prime as long asthey are in same location and eli-gible. TYA Prime enrollees whohave retired sponsors and whoreside in affected PSAs may be

able to waive their drive time stan-dards and fill out a new TricareYoung Adult Application (DOForm 2947) to reenroll in TYAPrime at an MTF or with a pri-mary care manager in a remainingPSA. Those who do not reenrollin TYA Prime can purchase cov-erage under TYA Standard, whichis $152 monthly, compared with$176 for TYA Prime.

Note: Affected beneficiaries mayalso have the option to enrollin the US Family Health Plan(USFHP), a Tricare Prime optionavailable through networks of

not-for-profit health care systemsin six areas of the US. For moreinformation visit: www.tricare/usfhp.

TRICARE FOR LIFE ANDVETERAN AFFAIRS CLAIMS

Medicare processes first andTricare processes second. AlthoughVeteran Affairs (VA) facilities areTRICARE-authorized, they aren'tMedicare-certified and can't billMedicare. Currently when a ben-eficiary gets care at VA facility

for non-service connected care,Tricare pays 80 for Tricare cov-ered services, leaving the benefi-ciary with the remaining 20 of theTricare allowable charge.

Beginning 1 October 2013, thiswill change! When a beneficiarygets non-service connected careat a VA facility, Tricare will onlypay200/0 of the Tricare allow-able charge and the beneficiary isresponsible for the remaining 80.This is the same as when a bene-ficiary gets care from a providerwho opts out of Medicare.

PRIME ENROLLMENT FEE

INCREASE Tricare Prime enroll-ment fees increase October 1,2013. As you know, Prime enroll-ment fees are subject to increaseseach fiscal year based on the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA),as authorized by the NationalDefense Authorization Act(NOAA) for FY 2012. The Primefees for FY2014 are: Individual:$273.84 Family: $547.68

Remember, survivors of activeduty deceased sponsors and med-ically retired members and theirdependents are exempt from the

annual increases. Beneficiaries inthose categories who enroll inFiscal Year (FY) 2013 pay the FY2013 amount until they lose eli-gibility or have a break in Primecoverage. Fees for these beneficia-ries are "frozen" at the rate whenthey were classified and enrolledin Prime as long as the policyremains active. Current fees forPrime are available at www.tri-care.mi/costs.

TRICARE RESERVE SELECTTRS MONTHLY PREMIUMSTricare Reserve Select premiumrates are established on a calendaryear basis.

2013 Monthly Rate thru-ough Dec. 2013: Member only$51.62 per month, Member/Family $195.81 per month. 2014Monthly Rate beginning January2014, Member Only $51.68 permonth, Member / Family $204.79per month.

TRICARE RETIRED RESERVETRR MONTHLY PREMIUMS2013 Monthly Rate through Dec.2013, Member only $402.11 permonth, member/family $969.10per month. 2014 Monthly ratebeginning Jan. 2014, Memberonly $390.99, Member/Family$956.65 per month.

INITIAL PREMIUM PAYMENTFor TRS and TRR you must sub-mit an initial two month premiumpayment with your completedform to begin coverage. The initialpremium payment can be paid bycheck, money order or cashier'scheck (payable to the regionalcontractor), or by debit/creditcard (Visa/Mastercard).

AFFORDABLE CARE ACTOn Tuesday, October 1, 2013,enrollment for healthcare cover-age under the Affordable Care Act(ACA) begins. Unless, exempt-

ed, all Americans must have theMinimum Essential Coverage(MEC) in place ... by January 1,2014 to fulfill the individual cov-erage mandate or may be requiredto pay a fee ("shared responsi-bility payment") for each month

without health coverage.

For other than line of duty anddirect care, Tricare is consideredMEC. For purchase care plans(TRS, TRR, TYA and ContinuedHealth Care Benefit program)

individuals must be paying planpremiums to have MEC.

For more information please go towww.tricare.mil/aca.

VA BENEFITSTRAUMATIC SERVICE MEMBER'S

GROUP LIFE INSURANCE (TSGLI)

Traumatic Service member'sGroup Life Insurance is aCongressionally-mandated insur-ance program that provides short-term financial support to trau-matically injured Soldiers andtheir families through a one-timepayment effective December 1,2005 . TSGLI is bundled with

SGU- premium was increasedby $1 to accommodate traumat-ic coverage. TSGU provides pay-ments of $25,000 up to $100,000to members of the uniformed ser-vices covered by SGU who sustaincertain specified losses as a resultof a traumatic injury. Like SGU,TSGLI covers a service member24/7.

HOW TSGLI HELPS INJUREDSOLDIERSTSGLI is designed to assist withunanticipated expenses and/orhelp with a head start on life afterrecovery. Payment amount var-

ies depending on the injury. Freefinancial counseling is availablefor Soldiers from Financial Point.TSGLI is a one-time financialassistance-NOT income replace-ment. TSGLI does not replace anyother VA benefits.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR TSGLISoldiers who elect Service mem-bers Group Life Insurance (SGLI)coverage and incur a qualifyingtraumatic injury after 1 December2005, regardless of their compo-nent (Active, Reserve or NationalGuard) or the location in whichthey incurred the injury. Survivorsof service members who died more

than seven days after their injuriesare also eligible to receive TSGUpayment if the member had a cov-ered loss.

RETROACTIVE TSGLIAs of October 1, 2011, the Servicemembers' Group Life InsuranceTraumatic Injury ProtectionBenefit will be payable for all qual-ifying injuries incurred duringthe period October 7, 2001 toNovember 30, 2005, regardless ofwhere they occurred and regard-less of whether the member hasSGLI coverage at the time of theinjury. The Veterans' Benefit Actof 2010 removes the requirement

that injuries during this period beincurred in Operations Enduringor Iraqi Freedom.

Applications for the retroactiveTSGU can be accepted by theBranch of Services TSGLI Offices,benefits will not be paid untilOctober 1, 2011, the effective dateof the law.

A Qualifying Traumatic Injuryis an injury or loss caused byapplication of external force orviolence (a traumatic event) ORa condition whose cause can bedirectly linked to a traumatic

event. Examples would be loss ofhand or foot by severance at orabove the wrist or ankle, loss ofspeech, or paraplegia.

Greetings Sisters,Where has the time gone? It has been 3months since Convention and so muchhas happened already! Where did thetime go! First, your line officers and Iwant to say "Thank You" for all the hardwork you have done on Membership.It is awesome. "Wow!" As of today weare at 80.24 with 124 new members.

Are you ready for this? We have 2 newAuxiliaries (12312 Maggie Valley and2019 Mt Airy), and a new Jr Girls Unitsponsored by Auxiliary 670 Fayetteville.And there are 2 more Auxiliaries in themaking. What a wonderful year. Butsadly we lost 2 Auxiliaries due to lack ofmembership.

Let me share some of the exciting thingsgoing on before I share the news aroundthe Department. In July we traveled tothe National Convention in Louisville,where the hard work all of you accom-plished last year paid off for severalprograms. We won in 4 areas: Cancer Aidand Research, we qualified as runner-upand received a prism crystal plaque& $100; Legislative and Scholarshipseach received a first place plate w/stand and a $200 award; Chief of Staff/

Extension Received 1st place with $200;Hospital was runner-up with a certifi-cate and $100. We also had a National

Aide De-Camp. It was with great pridebeing presented with the colors as yourPresident, accompanied by our Sr and JrVice Presidents.

It has been a busy year so far with the 3Flying Squadron sessions. We were ableto meet so many Sisters and Comrades.

The National President's Homecomingwas a wonderful experience, as we vis-ited New Orleans and saw the history- especially the site of the Battle of NewOrleans fought in the War of 1812. OnOctober 28th, I and two color bear-ers will present the colors at the firstCelebrating America's Freedom Event inVicksburg, MS. Then it's on to SouthernConference. On a lighter note I havevisited with District 1 and attended theannual VA hospital dinner for 2 busloadsof patients held at Post 7312 Sunbury.We had so much fun and the ladiesdanced with the patients. How awe-some! During this year I hope to visit,as many Auxiliary's as possible and toparticipate in your community eventswith you. Remember that our lovely, gra-cious and energetic National President

Armithia "Sissy" Borel will be with us21-23 November in Fayetteville. See yourGeneral Orders for information.

Ladies, one last reminder - REPORTwhat you do. National sets the goals weare required to meet for each program. Itis through reporting that we are allowedby Congress to maintain our nonprof-it status. An important note: one ofour VFW families has been selected asthe "National Military Volunteer Familyof the Year" and will be traveling toWashington to receive this honor. It alsogave media coverage on the VFW andLadies Auxiliary and Jr Girls.

In closing. what an honor to be elected asyour President and to represent you all. Iam just a phone call away or in personvia Skype.

Loyally .... Penny

PENNYCOCOULIDIS

PRESIDENT'SCOLUMN

DO YOU WANT TO INCREASE YOUR

POST MEETING ATTENDANCE?If you want to dramatically increase your post

attendance at your post meetings, you are urged

to contact Indian Trail Post 2423 Commander

Brian Boze at 704-243-1475 or State Membership

Chairman (and 2423 member) Jack Campbell at

704-882-2172 for advice. By judicious use of a

phone tree and many active projects at once,

they PACK THEM IN. At their February post

meeting, 83 OUT OF 337 COMRADES ATTEND-

ED. THAT IS AN ASTONISHING 25 ATTENDANCE

RATE, THE HIGHEST IN THE STATE.


6/8

Page 10 JUL/AUT/SEP2013 THEVFW LEADER

The Department of North Carolina'sCouncil of Administration approveda motion to support the upcoming AllAmerican Ride and Glide event, to occur on2 November in Wake Forest. The support

will include communicating the event to thecomrades, Auxiliary sisters, and Auxiliarybrothers, and urging the posts to put theevent on their calendars. The Departmentwill not contribute fun ds for the event, butposts are allowed to help fund it from theirRelief Fund if they desire to do so.

The idea for the event got started by a groupcalled the Wake Forest Veterans Memorial.Its original intent was merely to maintainthe veterans' memorial site in Wake Forest,but their focus is now on soldiers returningfrom Iraq and Afghanistan who have lostlimbs to lED's and other combat causes.The Memorial group is concerned thatmobility for limbless veterans is an issuethat will not heal and does not get better.Fatigue is an issue with these veterans,and covering long distances is still out ofrange for many of them. The organization's

answer to this problem is to issue SEGWAYmoving devices to deserving veterans.

Segway devices allow for fast, long range,all weather, all terrain navigation and has

a zero turning radius. Riders can standupright on the Segway, holding on theshoulder-level handlebars. The problemwith the issuance of the device to deserv-ing veterans is that it was not designed

and is not designated as a medical device.Therefore, it is not able to paid for bymedical insurance, benefits, or any type ofgovernment grant, to include VA.

The device enables disabled veterans tostand up and move about at the same headlevel as normal people, instead of beingconfined to a sitting position in a wheel-chair or electric cart. Each Segway costsabout $10,000.

Supporting this event along with theVFW are organizations that include theHendrick Automotive Group, GoldenCorral restaurants, Blue Cross Blue Shieldof North Carolina, the Whitley LawForm, and Segs4Vets, a charity with sim-ilar goals. Major General Bert Maggart,former Executive Vice President of RTIInternational, has signed on to assist with

strategic planning.

Posts are encouraged to communicate withthe Memorial's action officer, Mr. LesterBurleson, at les.burleson@gmail.

com. Registration for the Ride and Glideis at www.sportoften.com, keyword search"All American." Post support could includedonations from the Relief Fund, commu-

nicating to its members, showing up forthe actual event with cap on Saturday, 2November in Wake Forest, and possiblyparticipating in the 30-60-100 mile bikeride.

N.C. VFW to Support The AllAmerican Ride & Glide Event

STEPHEN AMOS, USMC RETIREDCandidate for JrVice Commander

20142015In 1982 I accepted the 1st important and only per-manent title the VFW has to offer, that of Comrade.Regardless of what position you are appointed or

elected to we are all Comrades. Elected officersshould be there to assist the Comrades at whatever

level they are elected at. The goal of every electedofficer should be to leave that position 'in better

shape than it was when,they were elected. Toaccomplish that goal you must have'the support of

the Comrades at the Post and. District level. Yourstate officers should travel the state to visit District's

and Post. The best way to encou'rage Comrades towork membership and the core programs is to get

out into state and work with them.

The most important thing about being a Comrade inthe VFW is to "honor the dead by helping the living."

With the support of the Comrades of ourDepartment, I will do everything I can to help all

Comrades live up to that motto. No one does morefor Veterans than the Comrades of the Veterans of

Foreign Wars.

Thank you for Your'support.

In accordance with the actions taken bythe delegates of the 114th VFW NationalConvention, Bylaw Amendment B-14 toamend Section 606 - National Dues wasapproved. The result is that the NationalOrganization portion of Dues shall now be$21.50. This increase will become effectiveJanuary 1, 2014.

This dues increase of $10.00 will automat-ically be increased by the National orga-

nization on January 1, 2014. Therefore,there is "no action" required by the Posts inyour Department since the entire in creaseof $10.00 will be reflected in the Nationalportion of the dues remittance.

If any post in your Department has alreadyincreased their dues in anticipation of thisincrease, the Post Quartermaster can go

to the Officer Change Notification section(under the heading of Election Reports)of the VFW Online Membership Systemand adjust the Post portion of their duesaccordingly. Please note that a Pop-up textbox will be inserted on the Officer ChangeNotification to ensure that Posts are awarethat they do not have to adjust their Postdues to reflect this National increase unlessthey choose to do so.

The Enrollment payment for the LifeMembership Installment Plan will increasefrom $35.00 to $45.00 beginning January1, 2014.

As a result of an administrative oversight,an amendment was inadvertently not pre-pared to amend Section 102 (Members-At-Large). Because of the lack of a proposed

amendment, there will be "no increase'in the Department at Large (DAL) mem-bership dues at this time. This will beaddressed by a proposed amendment fromthe Commander-in-Chief for presentationat the 115th National Convention.

Lastly, a letter was sent to each PostQuartermaster in early September detailingthe Dues Inrease and how it affects theirPost. However, I would suggest that you

take appropriate steps to notify your Postand District Officers of this information asearly as possible.

Should you have any questions about thisdues increase or the information sharedabove, please feel free to contact theMember Dues Processing Department at1-800-963-3180.

Dues Increase Information

VFW PROGR AMS REPORT TOTHE VFW NATlONAL COUNCIL OFADMINISTRATIONSubmitted: 08/16/13, Dan Parker, Director,Programs

Voice of Democracy Audio/Essay Contest(Grades 9-12) - 66th year Invested $1,963,539 in the program andin scholarships and incentives (3.2 increase) 39,571 students participated (15.4decline) Fifty-four national scholarships totaling$152,000, $30,000 first place.

Patriot's Pen Youth Essay Contest (Grade6-8) - 17th year Invested $1,100,263 in the program andincentives (6.6 decline) 104,543 students participated (17.7decline) Forty-five national awards totaling$46,000 - 1st Place Award is $5,000.

Buddy Poppy

2012-2013 Buddy Poppy distribution -

10.14 million (1.9 increase) Money raised - approximately $13 millionplus

Community Service

VFW & its Auxiliaries performed11,915,591 hours {37.9 increase} of vol-unteer community service valued at$312,599,142.72 (32.2 increase) anddonated or expended $48,787,967,50 (1.1increase) in the completion of these efforts.

Citizenship Education & Teacher Awards Provided U.S. Flag education and eti-quette in more than 8 thousand classroomslast year. Veterans shared their experiences withmore than 200,000 students last year. VFW Citizenship Education Teacher'sAwards honored 1,349 teachers (.7 increase)from 1,443 schools (2.2 increase) with$253,906.55 in awards {19.6 increase}.

Youth Activities (Scouting, JROTC, Cadet

Programs)

VFW Posts sponsored nearly 1,300Scouting units comprising more than40,000 Cub Scouts, Scouts, Venture Scoutsand Sea Scouts and adult leaders. VFW honored three Scouts of the Yearwith a $5,000, $3,000 and $1,000 scholar-

ship from nominated Eagle Scouts, VentureSilver Award and Sea Scout QuartermasterAward recipients. VFW honored than 1,800Eagle Scouts with a letter from the VFWCommander-in-Chief VFW Posts honored thousands of ROTC,JROTC, Civil Air Patrol and Naval SeaCadets. Resolution 305, passed at the 11ih VFWNational Convention officially identifiedthe Girl Scouts of the United States ofAmerica as a VFW Youth Activity. The2012-13 Scout of the Year competition saw13 GSUSA Gold Award recipients win-ning at the Department level and SabinaManzini of the Department of Nevada wasthe Scout of the Year Third Place nationalwinner.

VFW Programs Report

Fayetteville - The VA Mid-Atlantichealth Care Network has awarded acontract to build a new CommunityBased Outpatient Clinic in Sanfordto Construction Managers, Inc. ofFremont, N.C.

Veterans residing in and around LeeCounty will have enhanced access toVA health care when the new 10,000

sq. feet VA clinic opens next year at1248 Broadway Road in Sanford.The clinic is slated to provide pri-mary care and mental health servicesto about 5,000 Veterans.

The award covers the constructionof the clinic and a five year leasewith five one year extensions. Thetotal cost of the lease for the 10year period is approximately $2.5million.

Construction Managers Inc., com-pleted the new clinic in Goldsborowhich opened in July and have also

been awarded the contract to buildthe new clinic in Jacksonville, N.C.

Construction is expected to beginafter the first of the year with com-pletion expected by October. The

clinic should begin seeing patientsby December 2014.

Veterans currently enrolled at theFayetteville VA Medical Center wholive closer to the new clinic will begiven priority for care there. Priorto the new facility opening, theFayetteville VA Medical Center willreview their list Veterans who may

benefit from transferring to thenew clinic and inform them of theoption.

Contract Awarded

to New VA Clinic


7/8

THEVFW LEADER JUL/AUG/SEP2013 PAGE11

Spotlight on Newton Post 5305 Activities

A check for $350.00 was contributed by the Newton Post 5305 for theConover School Toy Run for Special Children.

The Conquer The Beast annual motorcycle pokerrun at Newton Post 5305. $1359.50 was raised tohelp Sandy Price's battle against breast cancer.

Veterans Day barbecue cooks getting ready atNewton Post 5303.

A great retirement ceremony in the area around Newton Post 5305.

It was spearheaded by the post, the local boy scouts, and District 14Commander Allen Payne.

Ready to barbecue at Newton Post

5305 on Veterans Day.Newton Post 5305 contributed $500.00 to the Newton Conover HighSchool Football uniform fund drive committee. L to R: CommlanderLarry Teague, Trustee Gene Pepe, Fundraising Chairman Jim Wilson,N-CHS assistant coach Brent Russell, House Committee Member J.B.Stearns, and Quartermaster Lonnie Bollinger.

A generous check was given to the local Boy Scouts by NewtonPost 5305 in front of their impressive post home, complete withhelicopter!

Greensboro

Post 2087

Greensboro Post

2087 Commander

Nate Degraffenreaidt

shading himself at the

Fun Fest, and doing

some recruiting too!Greensboro Post 2087 Past Commander Wallace

Estes handing out well deserved rewards to their local

JROTC unit.


8/8


HonoringVeterans

The dream and vision of a handful of area veterans of cre-

ating a large-scale veterans memorial on a parcel of landin Triad Park became a reality Friday as shovel met earthduring a special groundbreaking ceremony at the future siteof the Carolina Field of Honor.

An estimated 600 people attended the evening event, withmembers of the War Memorial Foundation (WMF) eachtaking a shovel to turn the first mounds of dirt on what isalready considered hallowed ground by many.

"It was one of the most emotional things I've ever seen" saidKernersville resident Roger Stockton, a U.S. Marine Corpsveteran and member ot the WMF Board of Directors. "Itwas the most reverent group of people who really look at theground as hallowed ground".

The $5 million veterans memorial has been a labor of lovefor all those involved, from securing a central site in theTriad and garnering the Guilford counties, which co-ownTriad Park, to generating support among individuals, orga-nizations and communities. "It was great and a very heartfelt and emotional ceremony" said Bill Moss, a U.S. MarineCorps veteran who first contrived the idea of building aveterans memorial in the Triad and who knew the perfectspot when he saw it from above while flying over the areascouting possible locations.

For Moss and his compatriots, the last six-and-a-half yearshave been spent successfully completing their own specialmission, with each day tackled as only a military veterancould, with commitment and passion. When they were toldthey couldn't do it, not in this economic climate, it onlymade the group dig deeper.

It's no wonder then that Friday felt just a little bit likeChristmas. "For us, Santa has arrived with our Tinker Toysand Legos, and now it's time to build," said Stockton. Buildthey will, with a targeted dedication date for the CarolinaField of Honor veterans memorial set for this comingMemorial Day on May 26, 2014. "All the building permitshave been issued, so we're good to go" said Stockton.

Kernersville Mayor Dawn Morgan attended Friday's ground-breaking ceremony. She was surrounded by veterans andtheir families and thought one display was especially mov-ing. It was a really heartwarming ceremony. There was oneindividual who brought the boots and hat of a, family mem-ber who was killed in Iraq to represent the fallen. It was verymoving that we had that kind of involvement," said Morgan.Morgan was referring to Devon Yokely, whose brother, LanceCorporal Kevin Adam Lucas, was killed in Iraq in 2006.She placed her brother's boots and cover on a chair next tothe groundbreaking site while Rich Rohme, a rider with theNorth Carolina Patriots Guard, stood guard.

"It was a powerful statement about why this memorial is soimportant;" said Morgan. "It honors the sacrifice of thosewilling to have a personal commitment to defend our free-dom. What a great memorial this will be and a reminder toall of us about the sacrifices those in the w military havemade." According to those with the WMF, an estimated150,000 veterans live in the Triad area. The memorial willhonor all branches of military service and will include a 50ft. granite obelisk, fountains and flags, amphitheater, paradedeck and memorial brick walk. As a veteran, Stockton saidFriday's ceremony was one of the most moving he'd seen. "Itwas one of the grandest moments I've ever had in public lifein all my 75 years".

Moss said the foundation is still selling personalized memo-rial brick pavers to honor either past or current membersof the military, but isn't sure how long the supply will Iast."Anyone who wants a paver needs to get one soon becausewe could be out by Christmas". The engraved brick paverswill be used to construct memorial walkways through theeightacre veterans memorial. Anyone interested in purchas-ing a memorial bsick paver may do so by visiting the WarMemorial Foundation website at www.ncwmf.org. The siteprovides details about the Carolina Field of Honor andother ways to donate. Contributions may also be mailedto: The War Memorial Foundation, 600 N. Regional Rd.,Greensboro, N.C. 27409. Phone calls can be made to (336)851- 0999.

VFW NC Leader Jul-Sept 2013

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