FW: VVA Web Weekly - What's New on vva.org: October 16, 2014

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Subject: VVA Web Weekly - What's New on vva.org: October 16, 2014
From: webmaster@vva.org
To: vva17nv@outlook.com
Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 14:14:32 +0000

This email was sent to vva17nv@outlook.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Vietnam Veterans of America · 8719 Colesville Road · Suite 100 · Silver Spring, MD 20910 · USA

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In This Issue October 16, 2014 VVA Convention Resolutions, Constitutional Amendments, Awards Nominations Improve VA Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Care Programs VA Contracting Officer Resigns Alcohol and Opioid Pain Relievers or Benzodiazepines Increase Overdose Risk Former Gulf War RAC Chair: VA Steers Gulf War Illness Panel Away from Science For-profit Schools Dependent on Taxpayer Dollars Have You Gotten Your Flu Shot? VVA National Convention: July 21 - 25, 2015 ADVERTISEMENT Support Senate Bill S.2738 and House Bill H.R. 5484 Click Here For More Info & To Take Action VVA Convention Resolutions, Constitutional Amendments, Awards Nominations  Proposed amendments to the VVA Constitution and VVA Convention Resolutions can be made online. Use the buttons below to submit amendments and resolutions (each separately). Submissions for both are due no later than March 22, 2015. NOTE: If you submitted your amendment prior to October 14, please resubmit it. Submit Constitutional Amendments Online Here Submit Resolution Proposals Online Here VVA National Awards are submitted by mail and must be postmarked by May 22, 2015. VVA National Awards Criteria VVA National Awards Nomination Form - Download Here As Reported byThe Huffington Post Blog Improve VA Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Care Programs Representative John Delaney (D-MD) wrote an October 14 op-ed for The Huffington Post Blog wherein he says that one of the most critical areas of need is improving our suicide-prevention efforts. According to a study conducted by the VA, on average, 22 veterans a day commit suicide. That's one tragedy every 65 minutes, and according to analysis done by CNN, that number could be even higher. This is an area where the American people are clearly united that we have to do more. Read complete story here As Reported by The Washington Post VA Contracting Officer Resigns According to an October 15 Washington Post story by Josh Hicks, a top VA contracting officer, who allegedly steered work to a Virginia firm, resigned Tuesday, eight days after the agency announced that it had begun the process of firing her. Read complete story here CDC Report Alcohol and Opioid Pain Relievers or Benzodiazepines Increase Overdose Risk According to an October 10 CDC report, Opioid Pain Relievers (OPRs) and benzodiazepines are the prescription drugs most commonly involved in overdose deaths and Emergency Department (ED) visits. When these drugs are combined with alcohol, the risk for overdose increases. In 2010 the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) data, alcohol was involved in 18.5 percent of OPR and 27.2 percent of benzodiazepine drug abuse-related ED visits and over 20 percent of both OPR and benzodiazepine drug-related deaths. Men had a higher percentage than women of alcohol involvement in ED visits for both OPRs and benzodiazepines. More can be done to educate providers and the public about the dangers of combining these substances. Read study here As Reported by the Arizona Republic Former Gulf War RAC Chair: VA Steers Gulf War Illness Panel Away from Science According to an October 9 Arizona Republic story by Paul Giblin, the VA is seeking new members who offer "fresh perspectives" for an advisory committee that researches illnesses tied to the first Gulf War. Read complete story here As Reported by The Center for Investigative Reporting For-profit Schools Dependent on Taxpayer Dollars According to an October 9 article by Aaron Glantz posted to The Center for Investigative Reporting website, more than 100 for-profit colleges are so dependent on taxpayer money that they would be violating a law designed to prevent profiteering, if not for a loophole that excludes GI Bill funds and Department of Defense tuition assistance to active duty military. Read complete story here ADVERTISEMENT From the Veterans Health Council Have You Gotten Your Flu Shot? Aging, along with certain chronic health conditions, can leave our immune system weakened and even more vulnerable to serious diseases, including pneumococcal pneumonia and new flu strains. As we enter into the winter months and the incidence of respiratory diseases increases, it's important that we consider getting a flu shot.

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FW: Memories of Khe Sanh, 1968

Thank You

Robert Serge

VVA 17 Member

Blog Master

To all my fellow veterans friends and family my we all remember 

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From: richardandshirley@netzero.net
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 20:30:55 +0000
To: rserge1@outlook.com
Subject: Fw: Fwd: Memories of Khe Sanh, 1968

Robert,  Just getting to my emails.  I am home from my colonoscopy this morning.  Still on the run!

---------- Forwarded Message ----------
From: "Bill Campbell" <wealthbc@cox.net>
To: <mussel1977@aol.com>
Subject: Fw: Fwd: Memories of Khe Sanh, 1968
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 07:10:34 -0700

Colleagues

Here is a real keeper for you and anybody who had a role in the defense of Khe Sanh in Jan/Feb 1968 ... 15 minute photo scroll with great music... familiar terrain and warriors circa 1967-68... I bet you won't be able to watch it just once.

Bill

A different kind of war!

God Bless Them - They never refused a mission or turned back!

Subject: Khe Sanh, 1968

Date: October 7, 2014 at 5:11:20AM PDT

To: Undisclosed recipients: ;

Memories Of Khe Sanh,

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7p9amd8ojtdsvh2/262%20QT%20KS%20v132-HD%20%28720p%29.m4v?dl=0

____________________________________________________________
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“Nevada celebrates her Vietnam Veterans

Hi John, 

Our entry is entitled, “Nevada celebrates her Vietnam Veterans” 

I am the contact for the Nevada Day Parade which is celebrating 150 years of Nevada statehood.

My contact information is:  Debbie Carroll, 702-526-3945 (cell) and 702-914-7840.  My email is bdlllcarroll@cox.net

The parade is being held on Friday, October 31st at 10 AM in Downtown Las Vegas, Fourth Street from Charleston Blvd. to Gass Avenue.  

The current announcer’s narrative being read when our group passes the judges stand and dignitaries is as follows, “Please STAND UP and CHEER to show your Nevada pride and appreciation for our veterans who served 50 years ago during the Vietnam War!  The Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons of the American Revolution and Children of the American Revolution celebrate Nevada’s 150th birthday and support and honor our veterans.  Ford Country is proud to help us support our Vietnam Veterans and also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Ford Mustang.  Our Battle Born members throughout the state are NEVADA PROUD!  

John, thank you for any help you are able to provide us!

 Thank you!

 Take care,

 Debbie Carroll

FW: RESEND: The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration

The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration

In 2008, Congress passed Public Law Section 110-181 SEC.598 authorizing the Department of Defense to organize, recruit, support and facilitate events all across America to assist a grateful nation in thanking and honoring our Vietnam veterans and their families.  On Memorial Day 2012, at a ceremony held at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., the President of the United States officially launched the national commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. 

 

In late October of 2012, The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration established the Commemorative Partner Program, a hometown-centric, veteran-focused initiative designed for federal, state and local communities, veterans’ organizations, schools, educational institutions, associations and many other organizations to assist a grateful nation in thanking and honoring Vietnam veterans and their families where they live.

  

In addition to the Commemorative Partnership Program, the Commemoration wanted to establish a special recognition program honoring the unique service and sacrifices of our former prisoners of war, the families of American missing and unaccounted for personnel, and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.  Additionally, the Commemoration is trying to reconnect with the families whose loved ones have since passed away after their service in the theater of operations during the Vietnam War to let them know a grateful nation remembers and appreciates their family’s service and sacrifice as well.   As a result, the Commemoration is pleased to announce a series of Certificates of Honor available for presentation to the following:  

1.                  Former Vietnam POWs, 

2.                  Eligible immediate family members of U.S. military and civilian missing and unaccounted personnel during the Vietnam War,

3.                  Eligible immediate family members of those who died during the Vietnam War and are listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and

4.                  Spouses of deceased veterans who have died since their service in the theater of operations during the Vietnam War.

A lapel pin accompanies the following certificates: former POW; Missing and Unaccounted For families and In Memory Of families whose veteran is listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.

 

For questions regarding the eligibility for the certificates, please contact Ms. Yvonne Schilz at 703-6974919 or Mr. Thomas Graft at 703-697-4874.  Please contact Ms. Janet Snyder at 702-227-6566 or groundhog71@gmail.com  to request the certificates. 

Thank You

Robert Serge

VVA 17 Member

Blog Master

To all my fellow veterans friends and family my we all remember 

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From: rogerhenning@cox.net
To: alnvdist2adj@gmail.com
Subject: RESEND: The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 16:52:54 -0700

I received a number of email rejections, so I am resending.  IF this is the second one you are getting, please delete.  Thanks!

From: Roger J. Henning PhD [mailto:HenningNHSS@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2014 4:48 PM
To: 'Janet Snyder'
Subject: RE: The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration

JANET à I am forwarding to the VVA Chapters 17 and 1076 and American Legion Posts in the District 2.  I do not believe we would have anyone in our Post 76 since mail to them stops when they notify us that their spouse has entered Post Everlasting. 

From: Janet Snyder [mailto:groundhog71@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2014 2:31 PM
To: Roger Henning
Subject: Fwd: The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration

Dear Roger,

This morning I sent this message about the USA Vietnam War Commemoration.  If you know anyone who qualifies, please ask them to contact me.

Thanks.

Janet

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Janet Snyder <groundhog71@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2014 at 1:04 PM
Subject: The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration
To:

Dear SMW members, NAUS members, and nationwide supporters,

The Society of Military Widows of Southern Nevada Chapter #34 is a Commemorative Partner with the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration.

Please click on the link below, to read about this program.

If you would like to receive a Vietnam Widows Certificate - or if you know a Vietnam military surviving spouse who hasn't yet received one of these certificates,  please contact me.

Thanks.

Janet

(702) 227-6566

groundhog71@gmail.com

FW: Thursday mission 10/16/2014

Thank You

Robert Serge

VVA 17 Member

Blog Master

To all my fellow veterans friends and family my we all remember 

>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob Donaghy [mailto:bobdonaghy@me.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2014 7:00 AM
> To: Undisclosed recipients:
> Subject: Thursday mission
>
> Hi Everyone
>
> This Thursday, Oct. 16th, the following funerals are scheduled for 8:40 AM
> at the Southern Nevada Veteran's Memorial Cemetery, 1900 Veteran's Memorial
> Drive, Boulder City, 89005. These interments are for Nevada's fallen
> veterans who are without family, homeless, indigent or just forgotten by
> family and friends and remain unclaimed.
>
> This week's interments are:
>
> Army veteran: Gerald Rogers
>
>
> For anyone interested in riding over together, some of us meet for breakfast
> at the IHOP ( 4860 Boulder Hwy ) diagonally across the street from Sam's
> Town at around 6:50 AM. It will be KSU at 7:45 AM.
>
> Thank you Bob Donaghy=
>

FW: Monthly 3rd Saturday Fun Shoot at the Clark County Shooting Park

check this out

Thank You

Robert Serge

VVA 17 Member

Blog Master

To all my fellow veterans friends and family my we all remember 

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From: rogerhenning@cox.net
To: alnvdist2adj@gmail.com
Subject: Monthly 3rd Saturday Fun Shoot at the Clark County Shooting Park
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2014 17:20:55 -0700

FUN SHOOT WITH AMERICAN LEGION POSTS and VVA Chapter 17

WHEN:  Saturday October 18, 2014 8:30 AM ~ 10:00 AM

WHERE: Clark County Shooting Park, Rifle and Pistol Range (map)

Clark County Shooting Complex

11357 N Decatur Blvd, Las Vegas, NV  89131

(702) 455-2000· clarkcountynv.gov

Members of American Legion Post 76 as well as other local Posts are getting together this quarter with the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 17 for a fun shoot at the range.  It is not a competition, just a chance to meet some new people, make some new friends and put some holes in those evil paper targets! Because this is a joint meeting, we need a rough count on the number who may attend.  If you are interested, please reply with either a YES, or MAYBE.  If you are not available or not interested at all in this type of activity, you need to do nothing.  No reply is necessary.

This is open to all, members of any organization, friends, family, anyone wanting to come out and have fun shooting rifles and pistols.  We will meet just outside the entrance to the Rifle Range building where you pay.  Because they only assign shooting stands near each other if you turn in your receipts together, we often wait until there are enough for us to break up into groups so that we have stands near each other. 

If you have not yet been to the new range, you must have the required yellow pass documenting that you saw the safety video.  If you don't have one, come 15 minutes early to do that. The entry fee is $9.00 per person.  No Post funds are used for these outside social events.

Don't have a pistol or rifle?  No problem, we have plenty of rifles and pistols for all, so come anyway and we will share what we have.

Come and join us.  No competition, just a bunch of people enjoying putting little holes in targets and cardboard on the target stands!

As always, I put your email address in the bcc field to protect you from spammers and email harvesters.

Roger J. Henning

HenningNHSS@gmail.com

rogerhenning@cox.net

(702) 595-1795

(702) 256-2214

FW: Reminder: SCA veterans Club Meeting - Tuesday October 14, 2014 (S EE LOCATION CHANGE)

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Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 11:44:19 -0700
From: rserge@vva17lasvegas.org
To: vva17nv@outlook.com
Subject: Fwd: Fw: Reminder: SCA veterans Club Meeting - Tuesday October 14, 2014 (S EE LOCATION CHANGE)

  the Freedom Hall 2450 Hampton Road Henderson, NV 89052
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 05:04:37 -0700

____________________________________________________________
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--Forwarded Message Attachment--
From: wealthbc@cox.net
To: richardandshirley@netzero.net
Subject: Fw: Reminder: SCA veterans Club Meeting - Tuesday October 14, 2014 (SEE LOCATION CHANGE)
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 05:04:37 -0700

From: Tom Bouchard

Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2014 10:22 PM

To: Tom Bouchard

Subject: Reminder: SCA veterans Club Meeting - Tuesday October 14, 2014 (SEE LOCATION CHANGE)

                

                                                                                                                                                                

October 14th , 2014 @ 7:00pm in Freedom Hall at Independence Center

                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

                             

Please note the location change for our meeting next week.

For October we have an American hero, Dr. Richard Small as our guest speaker. He served our country in Vietnam where he was wounded in combat.  

                              

Richard Small - joined the Military Order of the Purple Heart in 2006 and is a Life Member of Chapter 0711 in Nevada. He has served as Adjutant, Finance Officer and Commander at both the Chapter and Department levels, recently completing four years as Department of Nevada Commander, before being elected Region Commander VI and appointed as National Surgeon in 2013. As a representative of the Order, he has been active in VAVS, serving on the Board of Directors of the Nevada Veterans Assistance League, Honor Flight Southern Nevada, Southern Nevada Coalition of Veteran and Community Service Organizations and Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 17. He is the Founding Chairman of the Nevada Veterans Foundation tasked with funding a Fisher House at the new VA Medical Center in North Las Vegas. Patriot Small has also been active with Habitat for Humanity participating in Habitat for Humanity Vietnam Builds in March 2012 and August 2013. He is on the organizing team planning yearly HFH Veterans Builds in Vietnam.

His medical career began with graduation from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1967. After serving a Surgical Internship at Barnes Hospital/Washington University in St. Louis, he entered Military Service as a US Army General Medical Officer. Volunteering for duty in Southeast Asia, he was assigned to the 3rd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division where he served with first HHQ at Brigade Headquarters and then 6 months as Battalion Surgeon with the 1/505. He was wounded in an attack on the forward fire base in Tay Ninh Province March 21, 1969. He subsequently served three months as Emergency Room Medical Officer at the 24th Evacuation Hospital on Long Binh Post.

His following duty assignment was as a General Medical Officer at US Army Hospital Camp Zama, Japan where he served as an admitting officer and surgeon on the Orthopedic Service and the Far East Burn Center. Following his military service, Dr. Small served as a Resident Physician at Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center and practiced Neurological Surgery in the greater Los Angeles area until his retirement in 2000.

Please plan to join us for this special presentation by an American that served his country in combat as well as currently serving veterans in need.

                                                      -------------------------------------

In addition, we will have our annual election of board members.