TANGLEWOOD VETERANS

Our last meeting of the Tanglewood Veterans was held on Feb.5th, after coffee at the clubhouse. Items discussed were:

• Approval of financial report for January.
• Report on visits made to visit veterans in nursing homes in the local area.
• Report on the Highlands Veterans Council meeting minutes.
• Approval to donate monies to the American Cancer Fund.

Our next meeting will be held on the 5th of March after coffee on the patio of the clubhouse. All Veterans are welcome to join with us.

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AIR FORCE ENLISTED VILLAGE

When you’re on active duty, it’s easy to see the differences between the armed services and friendly competition between Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard is expected. In the opinion of some widows of servicemen, the similarities of military life outweigh the differences between the services. Nowhere is that more apparent than at the Air Force Enlisted Village, where widows from all five services live together.

Although there are other organizations that cater to the widows of commissioned officers, the AFEV is unique in its mission to support the enlisted corps. The AFEV’s 80-acre campus near Elgin Air Force Base, FL, features independent and assisted living facilities:

• The Air Force Enlisted Village provides a home for the widows of enlisted military service members.
• The Air Force Enlisted Village operates three sites in the Fort Walton area -- Bob Hope Village, Teresa Village and Hawthorne House; the AFEV’s new assisted living residence.
• Widows and widowers of enlisted service members are eligible for residence at the three sites.
• Dependent parents of active duty and retired Air Force enlisted members are also eligible for residence.

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STATES DECLARE MAY 1 "SILVER STAR DAY"

Thanks to the efforts of silver Star families of America, several states have proclaimed May 1 as “Silver Star Day” to honor the nation’s wounded service members Silver Star Families of America is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program highlighting the ways Americans are supporting the nation’s service members.

So far, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Idaho, Iowa, New Mexico, Louisiana, Nebraska and Mississippi have declared Silver Star Day.

The group also acts as an advocate for the wounded and works to educate the public about dilemmas wounded troops and veterans face.

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VA TO PAY DIVIDENDS OF $369 MIL

The VA announced Dec.8 it will pay out $369 million this year to 1.2 million veterans holding VA insurance policies. Amounts will vary depending on the age of the veteran, the type of insurance, and the length of time the policy has been in force.

• WWII veterans holding National Service Life Insurance (“V”) policies will receive a total of $286.3 million.
• WWII-era vets with Veterans Reopened Insurance (“J”, “JR”, and “JS”) policies will receive a total of 10.1 million.
• Korean War-era veterans with Veterans Special Life Insurance (“RS “and “W”) policies can expect a total of $71.6 million.
• Veterans who served between WWI and 1940 with the U.S. Government Life Insurance (“K”) policies will receive $1 million.

For more information, contact VA insurance toll free at 1 800-669-8477, E-mails can be sent to Vainsurance@va.gov or visit the web site http://www.insurance.va.gov.

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VETERANS BENEFITS

The Veterans Benefits, Health Care and Information Technology Improvement Act of 2006 - passed in the final hours of the 109th Congress - sent to the president’s desk a long list of VA construction projects, some of which were carryovers from previous budget years. Many of the projects were identified as priorities under the landmark 2004 Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services decision but as yet had not received actual funds. Authorization from Congress does not guarantee dollars in the current fiscal year, but it does reaffirm legislative intent to pay for the projects. Among the major VA construction work authorized by S.3421, which passed early in the morning Dec 9 are:

• LAS VEGAS, NV -- $406 million to complete a new VA medical center, as recommended by CARES, replacing a collection of leased clinics now serving one of the nation’s fasted-growing veteran populations. The project received approximately $260 million through fiscal 2006, but the remainder was not included in the president’s 2007 budget request for VA. Ground was broken on the project last October.
• ORLANDO, FL-- $377,700,000 for construction of a VA medical center, as recommended by CARES. The project spent most of 2006 hung up over two possible sites for the new facility. Like Las Vegas, Orlando has one of the fastest growing and largest veteran populations in the country without a VA medical center.
• NEW ORLEANS, LA -- $300 million to restore, build or replace the VA medical center, which was reduced to two floors of outpatient service by Hurricane Katrina. While VA lost acute-care services, the state lost its entire public hospital downtown in the disaster. VA is authorized to carry out the replacement of its medical center in collaboration with Louisiana State University, which runs the New Orleans charity Hospital system.
• BILOXI, MS -- $310 million for construction of services from hurricane-ravaged Gulfport VA Medical Center into one facility at Biloxi, a consolidation recommended earlier under CARES.
• PITTSBURGH, PA -- $189,205,000 to consolidate the Pittsburgh VA Health Care System into the John Heinz III and University Drive divisions, closing the Highland Drive division.
• LONG BEACH, CA $107,845,000 for seismic corrections at the VA medical center.
• BRECKSVILLE, OH -- To consolidate the Brecksville VA Medical Center into the Cleveland VA Medical Center, as recommended by CARES.
• DENVER, CO -- $98 million to be used toward CARES recommended replacement of the Denver VA Medical center, along with a requirement that the VA secretary explore partnership options.
• GAINESVILLE, FL $85.2 million to correct patient-privacy deficiencies at the VA medical center.
• LOS ANGELES, CA -- $79.9 million for seismic corrections at the VA medical center.
• SYRACUSE, NY -- $77.7 million for a new spinal cord injury center.
• ANCHORAGE, AK -- $75,270,000 million to build a new outpatient clinic and regional office.
• ST. LOUIS, MO -- $69,053,000 for medical center improvements and cemetery expansion.
• LEE COUNTY, FL -- $65.1 million for a new ambulatory surgery/outpatient diagnostic support center and land purchase.
• FAYETTEVILLE, AR -- $56,163,000 for a new clinical addition to the VA medical center.
• TAMPA, FL -- $49 million for renovations of blind rehabilitation and psychiatric facilities and new construction at the VA medical center.
• AMERICAN LAKE, WA -- $38,220,000 for seismic corrections, a nursing home care unit and dietetics at the VA medical center.
• CHARLESTON, SC -- $36.8 million To plan and design a co-located medical center in partnership between the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and the Medical University of South Carolina.
• MILWAUKEE-- $32.5 million for a new spinal-cord injury center.
• INDIANAPOLIS-- $27.4 million to modernize 7th - and 8th- floor wards of the medical center.
• COLUMBIA, MO. $25,830,000 to replace the operating suite in the medical center.
• DES MOINES, IO -- To build a new extended-care building at the medical center.
• SAN ANTONIO, TX -- $19.1 million for ward upgrades and expansion of the medical center.
• DURHAM, NC -- $9.1 million Renovation of patient wards at the medical center.

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THE BLAZE OF 73

The 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis destroyed about 80 percent of the records for Army personnel discharged between Nov.1 1912, and Jan. 1, 1960. Also destroyed were about 75 percent of the records for Army Air Force and Air Force personnel, with surnames “Hubbard” through “Z” discharged between Sept. 25, 1947, and Jan. 1, 1964.

Officials have never determined what exactly was lost in the fire because there are no indices to the blocks of records involved. They were simply filed in alphabetical order for the following groups:

• World War I (Army) - Sept. 7, 1939, to Nov. 1, 1912
• World War II (Army) - Dec. 31, 1946, to Sept. 8, 1939
• Post World War II (Army) - Dec.31, 1959, to Jan. 1, 1947
• Post World War II (Air Force) - Dec. 31, 1963, to Sept. 25, 1947

The National Personnel Records Center will attempt to reconstruct a veteran’s records only if asked by the veteran or by the next of kin. (Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, husbands or wives) Given sufficient information , NPRC may be able to reconstruct a file. This includes:

• Full name used during military service.
• Date of birth.
• Branch of service.
• Approximate dates of service.
• Service number.
• Place of entry into service.
• Last unit of assignment.
• Place of discharge.

Send this information to:
National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Ave.
St. Louis, MO. 63132-5100

If a veteran does’t have any of the necessary information or documents, they may be available from VA or a state veterans service officer.

Veteran’s next of kin may also submit a request for records on line at http://www.vetrecs.archives.gov. NRPC can also be contacted at 1-314-801-0800 or by e-mail at mpr.center@nara.gov. NPRC Cannot accept e-mail requests for records. E-mail quires should only be sent to ask for general information, such as procedures or hours of operation, etc

Henry Oehlsen

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