MIAP New National Officers

February 8th, 2010

NEW NATIONAL OFFICERS
Please join the MIAP BOD in welcoming four new National Officers. These positions have been created to assist Linda Smith and the MIAP BOD in making the Missing in America Project more effective throughout the US. The more effective we are, the more we will be able to get our Veterans interred as they should be. Full job descriptions may be found on the MIAP blog.

SALLY BELANGER
NATIONAL LIASON TO FUNERAL HOMES
Sally started her professional career in the Operating Room at Providence Hospital, Washington, D.C. Fortunately for me, one of the local physicians decided I would be better suited to his private practice, an OB/GYN practice, where she spent approximately ten years. Finally, after much soul searching, Sally decided it was time to do what she really wanted and needed to do and that was to return to school and obtain her license as a funeral service practitioner.

Once licensed as a funeral service practitioner, Sally was employed by Lee Funeral Home in Clinton, Maryland. This was good place to be for many years, but inasmuch as “my other half” was employed by the same firm on Capitol Hill, it soon became apparent that if we were to “make it,” she would have to either move on to another funeral home or utilize her skills in another fashion. Fortunately for Sally, some of the past presidents of the Maryland State Funeral Directors Association thought she would serve the association well as their executive director. And so, she made the change. Sally served them well as she was there for just short of 25 years when her husband’s illness helped her to better understand where her priorities really were.

During Sally’s stint with the Maryland State Funeral Directors Association, the Delaware State Funeral Directors Association questioned whether she could help them out. The folks in Maryland decided what she did in her spare time was up to her. So, Sally worked with both organizations simultaneously. It was good for her because when her husband was tied up at the funeral home, she could always occupy my time.

Sally’s husband died seven years ago and her kitties are her children. Sally moved to Maine as this is where they had hoped to retire. Since most of her extended family are still in the metro DC/Maryland area, Sally has plenty of time to devote to those things she really believes in. And yes, Sally is a workaholic.

Sally stated “as I noted when I we first started communicating via email, I’ve given a lot of thought to the position of national liaison to funeral directors for the Missing in America Project as it is not one to be taken lightly.”

“First, I know I have the time. For since 2003, I have served as the executive director for the Maine Funeral Directors Association. It is a relatively small association. There just aren’t that many funeral directors in Maine, certainly a good 800 or so less than when I served as exec for the Maryland Funeral Directors Association some seven years ago. I also sit on the Policy Board of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). Additionally, I am a member of the Council of Funeral Association Executives, an association of executives of funeral service associations across the nation. This organization routinely meets three times a year and has the ability to be in constant communication via e-mail and conference calls. Additionally, most of us travel to DC each year in March or April to lobby for issues affecting funeral service and the client families funeral directors are called upon to serve, thereby offering one additional face-to-face meeting. Finally, I sit on the Wreaths Across America (WAA) Board. Wreaths Across America is another of those projects that involvement is infectious and is simply the right thing to do.”

“Finally, you should know that I was able to encourage the members of the Maine Funeral Directors Association to become involved with a Missing America project. I’m happy to report that in 2009, we were able to identify a candidate for interment in our program. He was finally laid to rest last April with dignity and respect. For one who had been sheltered at a local funeral home, there were almost 100 people who showed up for his services. Some served with him in the Navy; others worked with him over the years, and finally, some didn’t know him, but decided to participate as they would hope someone would do as much for their loved ones. I’m happy to report that we are currently in the midst of our 2010 program.”

WILLIAM LAUGHLAN
NATIONAL PUBLIC INFORMATION COORDINATOR
Bill was born in Scotland in 1950 and his family immigrated to the US in 1964. He went to school in Los Angeles, graduated from Venice High School. Bill was not a citizen when he tried to join the US Air Force. A Congressman from his district got him in. Bill joined the Air Force in 1969 and was trained as a Security Policeman. He received his citizenship while serving at Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota in 1969. Bill volunteered to go to Vietnam and served as a Heavy Weapons Specialist on a M113 at Phu Cat Air Base till 1971. He served in the Air Force for 7 1/2 years, was discharged and became a Deputy Sheriff in Riverside County California. Bill stayed in Law Enforcement till he was injured on duty in 1984. Since that time, Bill has done many things and been many places and now he lives in Iowa and works for GoDaddy.com. He serves as the Iowa State Coordinator for the MIAP and states that it is truly an honor to do so. He says he can think of nothing else that would give him more comfort knowing that he has helped his forgotten Brother and Sister Veterans.
Bill’s primary function is to develop, implement and maintain an effective public information program on both state and Nationwide basis; serve as the Organizations primary media liaison; develop positive press releases to the media; provides support to the Board of Directors in development of newspaper columns. Work includes professional application of research and writing skills, selecting news media, preparing and releasing material and preparing various periodic reports.

JOSEPH SMITH
NATIONAL EVENTS COORDINATOR
Joe Smith was born and raised in Missouri. He enlisted in the U S Navy in 1968, and served aboard the USS Forrestal until 1970, when he was transferred to ComNavAirLant, at NAS Norfolk until his discharge in 1972. Joe met and married his lifetime companion Linda during this time. He is the father of Heather and Joseph. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity in Missouri. He is also a founding member of the Freemasons Riding Club, serving as a member of the Grand Chapter as Events Coordinator. As a member of the Patriot Guard Riders since 2006 he has served as RC, Sen.RC and Ass’t State Capt. Joe is employed by the Adjutant General of Missouri(National Guard)as Security Supervisor at the air facility in Jefferson City, Mo. Joe’s hobbies include riding his Harley and fishing.
The NEC’s main function is to coordinate MIAP National and occasionally local events so as not to have conflicts in dates. This includes all fundraisers and to monitor events appropriateness of goals of the MIAP.
The NEC will keep a calendar of events and assist any member with arranging their events and disseminating this information to all appropriate MIAP personnel. The calendar will be sent for inclusion in the newsletter and copied to MIAP financial officer.

John Caldarelli
National Political Representative
John L. Caldarelli (WSO CSSD) is a certified safety and security director, certified by the World Safety Organization. He is also a retired New York City Firefighter and OSHA manager. John is a Korean era veteran who was assigned to the IS Calvary Division. During John’s tenure with the Federal Government he has investigated numerous Fire catastrophes throughout the Continental United States and its common Wealth’s. John was assigned to Ground Zero for the duration manning an OSHA Emergency Command Center. John is a graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
The NPR’s aim is to educate, enhance, and support the individual states in their quest for legislation that will achieve the Mission of MIAP.
The NPR will strive to work with the individual states to solve specific problems that hinder the mission of the MIAP.
The NPR will support the efforts of the individual state in regards to pursuing legitimate avenues of undertaking to fulfill the Mission of MIAP.
The NPR will render legitimate advice proven effective in past relationships pursuant to the Mission of MIAP.

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Proposed Budget Increases for Veterans’ Care

February 3rd, 2010

Veterans Affairs Employee Union Applauds Proposed Increases for Veterans’ Care
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Today, the American Federation of Government Employees and its National VA Council applauded the White House’s proposed funding increases for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The White House’s proposed fiscal year 2011 budget provides $57 billion in funding for the VA. For more than two decades, AFGE, which represents over 180,000 employees in the VA, has joined veterans’ groups in calling for full funding of veterans’ services.

The release of this year’s budget is an especially momentous occasion for veterans and its dedicated workforce. The FY 2011 budget marks the first two-year funding cycle for the VA health care system. On October 22, 2009, AFGE stood proudly with veterans’ groups at the White House signing of Public Law 111-81, funding reform legislation that ensures more predictable, adequate funding for VA health care by authorizing Congress to providing health care dollars one year ahead of time through advance appropriations. For the first time in the history of the VA’s budget, this year, the President’s budget request includes health care funds for two years.

“We applaud President Obama for standing by his commitment to veterans’ health care needs,” said J. David Cox, AFGE National Secretary Treasurer and retired VA Nurse. “VA hospitals, clinics and long term care facilities can finally count on getting the dollars they need for timely hiring, equipment purchases and construction.” Funding reform, which was supported by the president when he was a Senator, will put an end to yearly shortfalls and supplemental funding bills.

AFGE and its National VA Council have been longtime advocates for mandatory funding of the VA, an approach widely supported by the veterans’ community. AFGE with the nine veterans’ groups comprising the Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform endorsed advanced appropriations as an alternative funding approach that is achievable in the short term. “Yearly funding delays were driving up costs by requiring the VA to turn to more and more contract care from providers not specializing in veterans’ health care needs, fraying the fabric of VA’s world class health care system,” said Cox. “Finally, the VA health care system is on the right track.”

AFGE is also very pleased the administration has dedicated a substantial amount of resources towards the unique needs of women veterans, as well as dedicating $800 million towards tackling homelessness among veterans. “For years our military has been strengthened by the contributions of female members of the armed services. We are especially pleased that the administration has recognized that the 21st Century VA must be responsive to their needs,” said Cox. “Likewise, in a nation as rich and grateful as ours, no veteran should ever be condemned to homelessness. This budget reflects those commitments and we commend the President for it.”

The American Federation of Government Employees is the largest federal employee union representing 600,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia, including over 180,000 workers

SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees

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Emergerncy Care Fairness Act

February 3rd, 2010

PRESIDENT SIGNS VETERANS’ EMERGENCY CARE FAIRNESS ACT
Chairman Akaka introduced Senate bill to cover gaps in emergency care for veterans with limited insurance

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) today praised President Barack Obama’s signing of the Veterans’ Emergency Care Fairness Act of 2009.

“For veterans with limited insurance, a trip to the emergency room should not result in financial ruin,” said Chairman Akaka, who introduced the bill in the Senate last year. “With this new law, VA will be positioned to help veterans who are enrolled in VA care whose insurance does not cover the full cost of emergency treatment.” The Veterans’ Emergency Care Fairness Act, signed into law by President Obama last night, will enable the Department of Veterans Affairs to reimburse veterans enrolled in VA health care for the remaining cost of emergency treatment if the veteran has outside insurance that only covers part of the cost. Previously, VA could reimburse veterans or pay outside hospitals directly only if a veteran has no outside health insurance.

In addition to reimbursing veterans for emergency care in the future, the bill allows the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide retroactive reimbursements for care received prior to the passage of this bill. Akaka has received correspondence from veterans who were unable to receive financial assistance under the previous rules, and plans to share their information with Secretary Shinseki.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this legislation will cover approximately 700 future claims per year and as many as 2,000 veterans retroactively.

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Veterans’ Emergency Care Fairness Act of 2009 (Introduced in Senate)

S 404 IS

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 404

To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 10, 2009

Mr. AKAKA (for himself and Mr. BURRIS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Veterans’ Emergency Care Fairness Act of 2009′.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF VETERAN ELIGIBILITY FOR REIMBURSEMENT BY SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR EMERGENCY TREATMENT FURNISHED IN A NON-DEPARTMENT FACILITY.

(a) Expansion of Eligibility- Subsection (b)(3)(C) of section 1725 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking `, in whole or in part,’.

(b) Limitations on Reimbursement- Such section 1725 is further amended–

(1) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

`(4)(A) If the veteran has contractual or legal recourse against a third party that would, in part, extinguish the veteran’s liability to the provider of the emergency treatment and payment for the treatment may be made both under subsection (a) and by the third party, the amount payable for such treatment under such subsection shall be the amount by which the costs for the emergency treatment exceed the amount payable or paid by the third party, except that the amount payable may not exceed the maximum amount payable established under paragraph (1)(A).

`(B) In any case in which a third party is financially responsible for part of the veteran’s emergency treatment expenses, the Secretary shall be the secondary payer.

`(C) A payment in the amount payable under subparagraph (A) shall be considered payment in full and shall extinguish the veteran’s liability to the provider.

`(D) The Secretary may not reimburse a veteran under this section for any copayment or similar payment that the veteran owes the third party or for which the veteran is responsible under a health-plan contract.’; and

(2) in subsection (f)(3)–

(A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting before the period at the end the following: `, including the Secretary of Health and Human Services with respect to the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) and the Medicaid program under title XIX of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.)’; and

(B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting before the period at the end the following: `, including a State Medicaid agency with respect to payments made under a State plan for medical assistance approved under title XIX of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.)’.

(c) Effective Date-

(1) IN GENERAL- The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply with respect to emergency treatment furnished on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(2) REIMBURSEMENT FOR TREATMENT BEFORE EFFECTIVE DATE- The Secretary may provide reimbursement under section 1725 of title 38, United States Code, as amended by subsection (a) and (b) for emergency treatment furnished before the date of the enactment of this Act if the Secretary determines that, under the circumstances applicable with respect to the veteran, it is appropriate to do so.

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Marines leave Iraq

January 25th, 2010

—–Original Message—– From: Carpenter SgtMaj Kiplyn (USF-W SGTMAJ)
Cc: Tryon MajGen Richard T (USF-W CG)
Subject: FAREWELL OF THE MARINES FROM IRAQ

UNCLASSIFIED

Please pass on,

SgtsMaj, MGySgts, CMDCMs, Marines and Sailors, Saturday, 23 January at 1100 will mark the end of the Marines in Iraq as an organization. II MEF (fwd) will conduct a Transfer of Authority Ceremony with the First Armored Division without a Relief in Place from any incoming unit. USF-W (formally MNF-W) will merge with USD-C (formally MND-Baghdad) and will cease to exist.

After 6 years, over 850 Marines and Sailors killed in combat and another 8800 wounded we have completed our mission. At our peak, we had almost 26,000 Marines and Sailors on deck, close to 200 aircraft, over 380,000 pieces of ground equipment, and were averaging close to 2000 significant events a month. We have added a whole new generation of Heros; and names like Al Nasiriyah, Fallujah and Ramadi will be added to our History books. Words can’t begin to explain the magnitude of effort and sacrifice our Marines and Sailors have gone through to help the Iraqi people. Each year since the initial invasion, Marines and Sailors from all over the Corps have been a part of the revolving I MEF (fwd) and II MEF (Fwd) Commands. Each year has been different with its own sets of unique challenges and each successive year, the incoming organization has built upon the successes of the outgoing organization.

This year was no different, we didn’t have anywhere near the level of fighting that previous MEFs have done. However, we did conduct many operations, maintained security, continue to professionalize the Iraqi Security Forces, develop good governance and economics, assisted with the continued establishment of the Rule of Law and oversaw the peaceful transition of the provincial government. We also had one unique mission that we can call our own. That was to finally bring the Marine Corps home. Over the past year, we have simultaneously conducted the responsible drawdown of 24,000 Personnel, over 34 COPs and FOBs, including Baharia, Rawah, and TQ and sent six years worth of equipment out of theater.

For those of you who served with me this year, thank you. It was long and difficult at times, with our own set of challenges, but we did it.

It has been an honor to serve with you.

For those of you who have left your boot prints over here at least once during the last six years; thanks to you too. You set the stage for us to finish the job. It has been costly, it has been challenging, it has taken a while with quite a few dark days. But, in the end, it was worth it.

All Marines and Sailors, including those who remained stateside have contributed to the overall success of the Marines and Sailors in Iraq and; all of us have known someone who didn’t make it back alive or has permanent injuries. It is up to us to ensure that those who follow never forgot their sacrifice or what we did here.

Collectively, we have added another illustrious chapter to the successful story of our Marine Corps. One that all of us can be proud of.

Semper Fidelis,

K. Carpenter
Sergeant Major
United States Force – West, Iraq
(Previously Multi National Force – West) II Marine Expeditionary Force (Fwd)
21 January 2010

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Forgotten dead, in Storage

January 24th, 2010

Forgotten dead, in storage
An estimated 1% of cremated remains go unclaimed for years. But a long-lost relative just might show up.

Dozens of unclaimed human remains are stored in boxes and urns at the Cremation Society of Illinois. Funeral home policies vary on what to do with such remains: Some scatter them, others inter them, and many just let them be. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune / January 12, 2010)

By William Hageman
January 24, 2010
Reporting from Chicago – It’s a small room that could be in any Midwestern basement: paneled walls, concrete floor, low ceiling, fluorescent lights, gray metal shelves lining two walls.

But what’s on the shelves sets this room apart: more than 100 small cardboard boxes of cremated human remains.

Each box — the oldest dates to the late 1960s — has a person’s name written on the outside and cremation paperwork inside. These people lived, died, were cremated — and then left behind by their families.

People in the funeral industry estimate that 1% of cremated remains go unclaimed.

David Fisher, an independent Chicago-area funeral director and embalmer, says the average funeral home might have four or five sets of ashes sitting around.

Jerry Sullivan, president of the Cremation Society of Illinois as well as the International Cremation Federation, believes the number may be lower.

“I would say that every funeral home in the state of Illinois probably has one or two sets of cremated remains that people just never came back for,” Sullivan says.

Funeral homes’ policies differ on such abandoned remains: Some scatter them, some bury them, and some just hang onto them for — well, if not for eternity, at least in perpetuity.

“I’ve been in the [funeral] business since 1970,” Sullivan says. “My parents had a funeral home from 1952. So I’ve got some of theirs. I have some from businesses we’ve bought or inherited. . . .

“I remember we bought a funeral home, and there was a file cabinet there. We assumed it was files. Then we opened it and there were 10 or 15 sets of cremated remains. We still have them.”

Sullivan stores the remains in this climate-controlled room in one of the Cremation Society’s facilities in a Chicago suburb. Some of the remains belong to friends or acquaintances. On one shelf resides a machine shop owner he knew. Side by side on another shelf are two brothers. And he’s on a first-name basis with Mary and Roy.

“Oddly enough, to me, it feels like they’re relatives,” he says. “I feel they’re in better care with me than with somebody else.”

Illinois law is fuzzy regarding a deadline for the disposition of remains. Many funeral home directors play it safe and hold on to them out of concern that a relative might come for them later.

But how does a family member get left behind and forgotten?

Before prepaid funerals, some families couldn’t pay the bill and were reluctant to drop by the funeral home. Sometimes families aren’t especially close and no one wants to take responsibility for a distant relative. Or maybe the survivors didn’t know what to do with remains, so they did nothing.

“I think, probably, the most common reason was they just didn’t want them,” says Fisher. “They didn’t have any idea what they wanted to do, so they just left them at the funeral home.”

And the funeral director is left with the ashes.

“Usually it’s about a 60- to 90-day time when we start to encourage a family more aggressively to come on in, meet with us again,” said David Klein of Dignity Memorial, a Houston-based company that operates hundreds of funeral homes and cemeteries nationwide. “Or if there’s just no contact we’ll continue to hold them over the next two or three months as well, till a point when we feel comfortable enough — it could be nine months or a year — that we can say, OK, we’ve done our duty.”

Dignity sends the remains to a central place — a mausoleum at one of its cemeteries.

“Some funeral homes will pay to have them buried,” Fisher says. “Some scatter them, or have a scattering service over Lake Michigan.”

Says Sullivan: “I know some put them in a mausoleum niche or have a burial. It just seems impersonal to me.” So he holds on to the boxes, no matter how long it takes until someone claims them.

“Our record is nine years,” he said.

But records are made to be broken. Less than an hour after saying that, in late December, Sullivan received a call from a man seeking the ashes of his sister, who died in 1991. A family dispute with the woman’s ex-husband was the reason for the delay. The ex-husband had recently died, and the brother began pursuing his sister’s whereabouts.

Sullivan knew right where the remains were.

“He wants them buried with their mother and father,” he said later. “He wanted to purchase an urn and have us take her to the cemetery and bury her for him.”

bhageman@tribune.com
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Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times

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Cold War Veterans to get their Day in Court

January 24th, 2010

January 23, 2010 by Mike Bailey

The veterans of America’s Cold War experimental programs, primarily the 7120 enlisted men and women used at Edgewood Arsenal from 1955 thru 1976, have won the right to be heard in a federal court room this coming year.

The governments lawyers from the Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Army have spent the past year attempting to persuade the Judge to dismiss this lawsuit on any and all excuses, they claimed the statuette of limitations has expired, the action was filed in the wrong court, that National Security prevented the court from hearing this case, etc, basically these lawyers threw everything but the kitchen sink at Gordon Erspamer and the other attornies representing the 6 veterans and the Vietnam Veterans of America, who as a group represented these men.

http://edgewoodtestvets.org/

Vietnam Veterans of America, et al. v. Central Intelligence Agency, et al.
Case No. CV-09-0037-CW, U.S.D.C. (N.D. Cal. 2009)http://mofo.com/news/pressreleases/16406.html

Morrison & Foerster Secures Victory for Troops Exposed to Chemical and Biological Weapons Testing in Case Against the U.S. Government

01/20/2010

——————————————————————————–

SAN FRANCISCO (January 20, 2010) – Morrison & Foerster yesterday won the right to proceed with a case against the CIA, the Department of Defense, and the U.S. Army, filed on behalf of veterans rights organizations Vietnam Veterans of America and Swords to Plowshares, along with six veterans with multiple diseases and ailments, tied to a secret testing program in which U.S. military personnel were deliberately exposed to chemical and biological weapons and other toxins without informed consent. Plaintiffs seek declaratory and injunctive relief that would free them from their secrecy oaths and grant them healthcare that they were promised.
On January 19, 2010, Judge Claudia Wilken of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, issued an order that overruled the government’s main arguments to dismiss the case, which were based upon lack of jurisdiction, failure to state a claim for relief, statute of limitations, sovereign immunity, and standing.

“The victory obtained for us by our attorneys at Morrison & Foerster finally gives us a chance to redress one of the unfortunate decisions that has made veterans second class citizens,” said Paul Cox, Board of Directors Member at Swords to Plowshares.

The court also dismissed a direct challenge to the Feres doctrine, which is an exception to the waiver of sovereign immunity that was created by the Supreme Court during the Cold War. According to Rick Weidman, Executive Director for Policy and Government Affairs at Vietnam Veterans of America, “the government became immune to damages suits by military veterans after Feres so the use of soldiers became cheaper than using guinea pigs.”

The human experimentation program launched in the early 1950s and continued through at least 1976 when it was suspended in response to hearings conducted by Congress. Thousands of experiments took place at the Edgewood Arsenal and Fort Detrick, as well as several universities and hospitals across America contracted by the Defendants. “Volunteers” were exposed to thousands of toxins under code names such as MKULTRA, including drugs such as LSD, mescaline, and cannabis; biological substances such as plague and anthrax; and noxious gases such as sarin, tabun, and nerve gases.

“The government has long reconciled its war prosecutions and reliance on international treaties with secret actions on its part. As the case moves forward, perhaps we will finally learn an answer to why our vets were made victims at Edgewood,” said Michael Blecker, Executive Director at Swords to Plowshares.

Morrison & Foerster Senior Counsel Gordon Erspamer is the lead attorney representing the veterans, along with partner Timothy Blakely and associates Stacey Sprenkel, Adriano Hrvatin, Tim Reed, and Jonathan McFarland. The case came on the heels of an earlier case the firm filed on behalf of veterans afflicted with Post-Traumatic Distress Disorder, which is now pending in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The firm is handling both cases pro bono.

The trial should be held either this summer or this fall in San Francisco, hopefully it will be given class action to that it will represent the entire 7120 veterans, their widows and their children, who have been deprived the veterans benefits the victims of these immoral and ill thought out hazards to human health.

The government has stated that this will never happen again, some how I don’t trust them. The term “national security” has been used to hide many nasty things done in this nations name. Rendition, torture, up to and including abusing it’s own military personnel as this case shows. Then they use every means possible to deny it ever happened, they lie about it, they lie about the men who talk about it, they lie to us, they lie to Congress, they lie to Generals in charge, they lie to any and all involved in investigating them.

I have been told I was NOT used in any “secret test programs” no I never claimed I was, I plainly stated I was used in a known classified project at Edgewood Arsenal, nothing more and nothing less. I have the files to prove I was there, can I prove what I was exposed to, no, I have had Congressman tell me that they have been informed by the Army that I was never there, I was not exposed to anything, I was sent home sick in July 1974, despite Army records that prove I was at Edgewood Arsenal from June 25 – August 22, 1974. What took place during that 59 day period is classified, but it did happen.

After decades of ignoring these veterans and their families, it is finally time for this nation to accept their responsibility for these men and women. We just went to war against Saddam Hussein for using WMDs primarily Sarin and Mustard agents against the Kurds, what did these 7120 soldiers do to the government of the US to deserve being used and abused by them? Justice demands that this nation give these men and women medical care and if appropriate comoensation for their medical conditions caused by the “classified experiments” 35-55 years ago.

It is time to honor these volunteers for the danger they placed themselves in to enable the development of chemical, biological safety equipment to protect todays soldiers. They did not even give these men the promised Army Commendation or Soldiers medals they were promised, let alone the promotions we were promised.

Maybe a federal court can make the military keep it’s “honor” since they decided to use and abuse and then ignore these men and women due to the true costs of doing the “right thing” decades ago

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“Blue Water” Navy veterans eligible for Agent Orange Benefits

January 24th, 2010

From VA’s Jan 2010 Comp and Pension bulletin
Policy (211)
Information on Vietnam Naval Operations
Compensation and Pension (C&P) Service has initiated a program to collect data on Vietnam naval operations for the purpose of providing regional offices with information to assist with development in Haas related disability claims based on herbicide exposure from Navy Veterans. To date, we have received verification from various sources showing that a number of offshore “blue water” naval vessels conducted operations on the inland “brown water” rivers and delta areas of Vietnam. We have also identified certain vessel types that operated primarily or exclusively on the inland waterways. The ships and dates of inland waterway service are listed below. If a Veteran’s service aboard one of these ships can be confirmed through military records during the time frames specified, then exposure to herbicide agents can be presumed without further development.
All vessels of Inshore Fire Support [IFS] Division 93 during their entire Vietnam tour USS Carronade (IFS 1) USS Clarion River (LSMR 409) [Landing Ship, Medium, Rocket] USS Francis River (LSMR 525) USS White River (LSMR 536)
All vessels with the designation LST [Landing Ship, Tank] during their entire tour [WWII ships converted to transport supplies on rivers and serve as barracks for brown water Mobile Riverine Forces]
All vessels with the designation LCVP [Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel] during their entire tour
All vessels with the designation PCF [Patrol Craft, Fast] during their entire tour [Also called Swift Boats, operating for enemy interdiction on close coastal waters]
All vessels with the designation PBR [Patrol Boat, River] during their entire tour [Also called River Patrol Boats as part of the Mobile Riverine Forces operating on inland waterways and featured in the Vietnam film “Apocalypse Now”]
USS Ingersoll (DD-652) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River, October 24-25, 1965]
USS Mansfield (DD-728) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River August 8-19, 1967 and December 21-24, 1968]
USS Richard E. Kraus (DD-849) [Destroyer] [Operated on coastal inlet north of Da Nang, June 2-5, 1966, protecting Marines holding a bridge]
USS Basilone (DD-824) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River, May 24-25, 1966]
USS Hamner (DD-718) [Destroyer] [Operated on Song Lon Tao and Long Song Tao Rivers, August 15-September 1, 1966]
USS Conway (DD-507) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River, early August 1966]
USS Fiske (DD-842) [Destroyer] [Operated on Mekong River, June 16-21, 1966]
USS Black (DD-666) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River, July 13-19, 1966]
USS Providence (CLG-6) [Cruiser, Light, Guided Missile] [Operated on Saigon River 3 days during January 1964]
USS Mahan (DLG-11) [Guided Missile Frigate] [Operated on Saigon River October 24-28, 1964]
USS Okanogan (APA-220) [Attack Transport] [Operated on Saigon River July 22-23, 29-30, 1968 and August 5-6, 1968]
USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) [Combat Stores Ship] [Unloaded supplies on Saigon River and Cam Rahn Bay, April 22-25, 1968]

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Help for Homeless Female Veterans in Florida

January 23rd, 2010

Help for Homeless Female Veterans in Florida
Ground was broken on Friday for a new building in Cocoa, FL, that is designed to provide female veterans living in Florida with a new resource for coping with veterans’ related issues, such as homelessness.

According to a story on FloridaToday.com:

» Each night, there are an estimated 131,000 veterans who are homeless
» Nearly 300,000 veterans each year will be homeless at some point AND
» Of those figures, 15% are believed to be women veterans.
The Center for Drug Free Living in Cocoa is transitional housing for homeless female veterans in the Brevard County, Florida-area. The proposed building will provide much-needed housing for veteran women, with seven units of two bedrooms each. There will also be services in place to assist 28 homeless veteran women and their dependent children with any mental illness or drug addiction problems.

Female veterans in Florida face unique challenges. Among the concerns for Florida female veterans are issues of finding affordable housing, childcare, and healthcare. They also might struggle to maintain adequate employment, which can be difficult in healthy economic times, let alone during a recession.

This project is funded, in part, by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The center also received local funding and a generous donation from an anonymous source. The center is projected to reach completion in 2011.

Homeless Florida veterans deserve to have access to adequate resources to combat substance abuse and mental health disorders, which are debilitating problems that severely impact the veteran’s qualify of life. When Florida veterans do not have access to veterans’ disability benefits, the chances only increase that those veterans could eventually face homelessness.

Additional housing benefits are available to disabled veterans which may be based on your disability rating. If you are a disabled veteran who is fighting the VA to receive disability compensation, contact the veterans’ disability rights law firm of LaVan & Neidenberg.

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Post-traumatic stress diagnosed using magnetism

January 22nd, 2010

brain3-nih
Jan. 21, 2010
Courtesy Institute of Physics
and World Science staff

The thick­et of anx­i­e­ty, re­cur­ring night­mares and related prob­lems that en­velops some war vet­er­ans and oth­er trau­ma sur­vivors has been di­ag­nosed us­ing a phys­i­cal test for the first time, re­search­ers say.

The find­ings are being called a major ad­vance in stu­dy­ing the condition—post-trau­matic stress dis­or­der (PTSD)—which in the past was de­tect­a­ble only through psy­cho­log­i­cal screen­ing.

U.S. war vet­er­ans were in­volved in clin­i­cal tri­als that sci­en­tists say ap­pear to have di­ag­nosed post-trau­matic stress dis­or­der us­ing mag­ne­toen­ceph­al­o­graphy, a non-in­vas­ive meas­ure­ment of mag­net­ic fields in the brain. (Image courtesy U.S. NIH)

This se­vere anx­i­e­ty dis­or­der, en­shrined in pop­ular cons­cious­ness through films such as the Ram­bo se­ries about a tor­m­ented Viet­nam veteran, of­ten stems from war but can re­sult from any trau­matic event. The dis­or­der can man­i­fest it­self in flash­backs, re­cur­ring night­mares, an­ger or hy­per­vi­gil­ance.

U.S. war vet­er­ans were in­volved in clin­i­cal tri­als that sci­en­tists say ap­pear to have di­ag­nosed the dis­or­der us­ing mag­ne­toen­ceph­al­o­graphy, a non-in­vas­ive mea­s­ure­ment of mag­net­ic fields in the brain.

Con­ven­tion­al brain scans had failed to de­tect the dis­or­der, said the re­search­ers, whose work ap­peared Jan. 20 in the Jour­nal of Neu­ral En­gi­neer­ing.

The re­search­ers from the Min­ne­ap­o­lis Vet­er­an Af­fairs Med­i­cal Cen­ter and the Univers­ity of Min­ne­so­ta, led by Apos­to­los P Geor­go­pou­los and Bri­an En­g­dahl, worked with the 74 vet­er­ans who had served in World War II, Vi­et­nam, Af­ghan­i­stan or Iraq, and had been di­ag­nosed with be­hav­iour­al symp­toms of PTSD. Al­so par­ti­ci­pat­ing in the study were a group of peo­ple with­out the dis­or­der.

With more than 90 percent ac­cu­ra­cy, the re­search­ers said, they were able to tell apart PTSD pa­tients from healthy sub­jects us­ing a “syn­chronous neu­ral in­ter­ac­tions test.” This in­volves an­a­lys­ing the mag­net­ic charges re­leased when popula­t­ions of brain cells con­nect or “cou­ple.”

The abil­ity to ob­jec­tively di­ag­nose PTSD is seen as a first step to­wards help­ing those af­flicted with the dis­or­der.

“The ex­cel­lent re­sults ob­tained of­fer ma­jor prom­ise for the use­ful­ness of the syn­chro­nous neu­ral in­ter­ac­tions test for dif­fer­en­tial di­ag­no­sis as well as for mon­i­tor­ing dis­ease pro­gres­sion and for eval­u­at­ing the ef­fects of psy­cho­log­i­cal and/or drug treat­ments,” the re­search­ers wrote.

This work fol­lows suc­cess in de­tecting oth­er brain dis­eases, such as Alzheimer’s and mul­ti­ple scle­ro­sis, us­ing the mag­net­ic tech­nique, sci­en­tists said. The meth­od was in­vented by Geor­go­pou­los and the lat­est re­search was funded by the U.S. De­part­ment of Vet­er­ans Af­fairs.

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Veterans Aid & Attendance: The Missing Puzzle Piece

January 20th, 2010

Are you a veteran or the widow of a veteran?
Do you need help covering long term care and medical expenses?

If you answered “yes” to both of these questions, then you may be eligible for as much as $1,949 a month. Read on . . .
Most people believe that veterans’ benefits are only for those who retired from the military or were injured during active duty. For years that was the common belief. Until recently. Buried beneath layers of bureaucratic and regulatory red tape there is another important benefit that many are just now discovering.

An Important Benefit That Most Veterans (and Fewer Widows) Know Nothing About

The Department of Veterans Affairs administers a variety of programs for veterans. Most people know about the VA Health System (hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics). Many are aware that the VA administers monetary programs such as educational benefits, home loan guaranties and compensation for service-connected injuries.

But a huge number of veterans (and widows of veterans) are simply unaware of a program under the VA heading of “Special Monthly Pension” (or SMP). Because they don’t know about SMP, or because they don’t know how to access it, millions of veterans and the widows of veterans who qualify will never see a dime.

This pamphlet explains the basics and will tell you whether you might qualify. If financially you do not qualify now, after the right planning you might qualify – so don’t give up! If physically and medically you do not qualify now, you may want to start planning now if you think you may need the help later.

Answer These Simple Questions
SMP is divided into two basic benefits: “Housebound” benefits and “Aid and Attendance” benefits. Take a moment to see if you might qualify.

STEP 1 First things first. Make sure each of the following apply to you (or your veteran):
The veteran must have served at least 90 days active duty, and just 1 of those days needs to have been in a War Time Period. The War Time Periods are:
WWII 12/7/1941 thru 12/31/1946
Korean Conflict 6/27/1950 thru 1/31/1955
Vietnam 8/5/1964 thru 5/7/1975 (back to -2/28/1962 if time served in Vietnam)
Gulf Wars 8/2/1990 – current

The veteran must not have received a Dishonorable Discharge
The veteran must be either disabled or over age 65

STEP 2 Next, determine if you might qualify for the higher benefit of Aid and Attendance. If any of the following apply, you might.
Is the veteran, spouse or widow blind?
Is the veteran, spouse or widow living in a nursing home or assisted living facility?
Does the veteran, spouse or widow have some incapacity or limited ability that requires regular assistance from others in order to remain safe and clean?
STEP 3 If nothing in STEP 2 applies to the veteran, spouse or widow, the person may still qualify for the lower “Housebound” benefit if the person is essentially confined to the home and cannot leave without the assistance of others.
STEP 4 If STEP 1 and either STEP 2 or STEP 3 apply, determine if you might meet the income requirements. The veteran’s (or widow’s) family income, as adjusted, cannot exceed the following for Housebound benefits:
veteran only $1,204
veteran with dependent $1,510
widow(er) with no dependents $808

For Aid and Attendance, the adjusted income limits are higher

veteran only $1,644
veteran with dependent $1,949
widow(er) with no dependents $1,056

IMPORTANT: The income limits apply to adjusted income. Medical expenses not paid by insurance can reduce total gross income: doctor’s fees, dentist’s fees, prescription glasses, Medicare premiums, prescription drugs, nursing home expenses, home health care, and assisted living facility costs.

For example, a veteran with $2,000 monthly income, living in an assisted living facility or perhaps at home with the help of a home health agency will likely have no (zero) income after adjusting for expenses. He might qualify for the maximum $1,949.

There are plenty of planning options available if you have access to expert assistance.

STEP 5 If you might qualify under STEP 4, determine if you meet the asset/resource requirements. The VA uses a “gray” standard of whether a person has “sufficient means” to pay for his or her own care.
You will need to have less than “sufficient means”. Generally, for a married couple “sufficient means” is around $80,000 or more. A single person might be held to a lower standard. An older single person might be held to an even lower standard. A residence and an automobile are not counted as resources for determining asset levels.

Again, the good news is there are plenty of planning options available if you have expert guidance.

STEP 6 A properly prepared application with all supporting documents must be submitted to the VA. By law, only the following can assist with an application
A state veterans affairs office
A veterans service organization (such as VFW)
A licensed attorney
While no one can charge a fee for actually preparing and submitting an application, an expert can charge a fee for assisting you to qualify for VA Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits. Very few persons understand the “ins and outs” of the process.

A BIG DANGER, BUT A BIG OPPORTUNITY Most veterans, their spouses or perhaps their widows have other concerns. These concerns may involve Medicaid planning and conserving (or stretching) assets for themselves and their families.

Without expert care, a veteran who applies for VA benefits with no thought to his or her overall situation might create incredible hardship and perhaps jeopardize other important nursing home or assisted living benefits.

On the other hand, in the hands of an expert, VA benefits might provide a tremendous boost when properly integrated with other planning options.

The bottom line: VA benefits can be a wonderful piece (one that has been missing) to a planning puzzle, but without expert help fitting the pieces together, putting the puzzle together might be impossible.

The time to start working on the puzzle is now.

January 19th, 2010 | Author: Bob Mason

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