POST NEWSLETTER Nov 2011
Commanders Corner - Kevin Krasovitz, USN (Ret)
Comrades:
I hope that everyone had a safe and enjoyable summer. I would like to thank all of our Post members, Honor Guard, Rifle Team, Ladies Auxiliary, Boro Mayor, Council Members, Girl and Boy Scout members and everyone that participated in the Memorial Day Services and Fourth of July celebrations.
It would not have been successful if not for you.
I look forward to another eventful year as your Commander. We have some fun events planned and I hope you can join us. I want to thank the Honor Guard members for a job "Well Done". Any member that would like to join the Honor Guard please contact me.
I'm proud to say our Post is supporting Sean Gillespi; who is working on a project for the post in hopes of achieving his Boy Scout Eagle Scout.
Coming Events:
October
22nd - Flea Market & Craft Show
November
4th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
11th - Veterans Day Luncheon at The Fountains in Atco
18th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person
30th - Vineland Veterans Home, Pizza and Bingo - Bus leaves the post at 5:30 PM, Lets fill that bus up!
December
2nd - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
16th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
18th - Post Christmas Party 2 - 6 PM where you will enjoy dinner, music and hopefully a visit from Santa.
2012
January
6th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
20th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
February
2rd - Superbowl tailgate dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
17th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
30th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
March
2nd - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
17th - 4th Annual St Patricks Day Party ($12 All You Can Eat) Starts 12 Noon. Paying in advance requested so we can better judge the crowd.
April
13th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
27th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
I ask that you keep in your thoughts and prayers the families of our Comrades that have passed away recently,
Rudy Levoch
Thomas Knott
Dante Nepi
Peter Bombaro
Joseph Schaffer
Mickey Chellemi
I hope that everyone had a safe and enjoyable summer. I would like to thank all of our Post members, Honor Guard, Rifle Team, Ladies Auxiliary, Boro Mayor, Council Members, Girl and Boy Scout members and everyone that participated in the Memorial Day Services and Fourth of July celebrations.
It would not have been successful if not for you.
I look forward to another eventful year as your Commander. We have some fun events planned and I hope you can join us. I want to thank the Honor Guard members for a job "Well Done". Any member that would like to join the Honor Guard please contact me.
I'm proud to say our Post is supporting Sean Gillespi; who is working on a project for the post in hopes of achieving his Boy Scout Eagle Scout.
Coming Events:
October
22nd - Flea Market & Craft Show
November
4th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
11th - Veterans Day Luncheon at The Fountains in Atco
18th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person
30th - Vineland Veterans Home, Pizza and Bingo - Bus leaves the post at 5:30 PM, Lets fill that bus up!
December
2nd - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
16th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
18th - Post Christmas Party 2 - 6 PM where you will enjoy dinner, music and hopefully a visit from Santa.
2012
January
6th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
20th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
February
2rd - Superbowl tailgate dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
17th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
30th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
March
2nd - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
17th - 4th Annual St Patricks Day Party ($12 All You Can Eat) Starts 12 Noon. Paying in advance requested so we can better judge the crowd.
April
13th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
27th - Dinner in the Canteen ($10 per person)
I ask that you keep in your thoughts and prayers the families of our Comrades that have passed away recently,
Rudy Levoch
Thomas Knott
Dante Nepi
Peter Bombaro
Joseph Schaffer
Mickey Chellemi
Agent Orange Equity Act 2011 (HR Bill 281)
The U.S. House of Representatives currently has a Bill in committee to extend VA Benefits for the presumption of Agent Orange exposure to additional Vietnam Veterans. The proposed law would extend the presumption of exposure to Agent Orange to certain service members who served aboard vessels at sea – the so called Blue Water Navy, during the Vietnam War. As the law now stands only troops who served ashore “in country” or aboard riverboats in Vietnam are entitled to compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for a number of ailments including cancers linked to exposure to the toxic herbicide.
This information was presented by John Wells the Director of Legal and Legislative Affairs for the Blue Water Vietnam Veterans Association during the American Legion’s 93rd Annual Convention in Minneapolis. “The Blue Water Navy Association is trying to extend the exposure presumption for Agent Orange from the current “boots on the ground” to at least the territorial seas of the Republic of Vietnam”
he said. This would encompass the ships that were outside of the riverines but were actually very close to shore providing support to the troops ashore.
“What happened was that we would get a discharge of sediment that contained Agent Orange out into the South China Sea. Ships there would bring the sediment into their distilling systems that changed salt water into potable water and the sailors would drink it. The Australians discovered back in 2002 that the Agent Orange in the salt water was actually co-distilled – not removed. So, these folks were drinking an enhanced Agent Orange cocktail, as it were. This was confirmed in an Institute of Medicine report that came out just this past May. The Institute of Medicine also found that there was a plausible pathway both by wind drift and by river discharges for Agent Orange to get into the South China Sea. As a result, we have a higher cancer incidence (among those ship’s crew members theoretically exposed) than those troops who went ashore. The Australians Who have been paying Agent Orange-related benefits to their Blue Water Navy sailors for years, proved that in a study back in 2005” said Wells.
Wells said he ends his short presentation with an appeal to his target members of Congress to support the bill. One who was impressed by his organization’s argument was U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY. She is expected to introduce “The Agent Orange Equity Act of 2011” into the Senate when Congress reconvenes in September. Wells said the bill has drawn bipartisan support from several co sponsors. Hopefully both houses of Congress will vote to make this legislation into law and provide needed benefits to our fellow Veterans from the Vietnam War.
· According to www.govtrack.us Hr Bill 812 has 30 co-sponsors among its House members It should be noted that ANMAC VFW Post 6253 was the first Post in our District to request support from Congressman Rob Andrews for this legislation. We are happy to report that within 48 hours of our request Congressman Andrews reviewed the proposed Agent Orange Equity Act and contacted us with his pledge of support and signed on a co-sponsor of this bill. We thank Congressman Andrew for his continued and on-going support for area Veterans and their families.
· If you have any questions concerning benefits for possible Agent Orange exposure or other questions regarding VA benefits no matter what branch of the military you served in, please contact our Post Service Officer, Dennis Chance. Don’t wait! As a Veteran you earned these benefits.
This information was presented by John Wells the Director of Legal and Legislative Affairs for the Blue Water Vietnam Veterans Association during the American Legion’s 93rd Annual Convention in Minneapolis. “The Blue Water Navy Association is trying to extend the exposure presumption for Agent Orange from the current “boots on the ground” to at least the territorial seas of the Republic of Vietnam”
he said. This would encompass the ships that were outside of the riverines but were actually very close to shore providing support to the troops ashore.
“What happened was that we would get a discharge of sediment that contained Agent Orange out into the South China Sea. Ships there would bring the sediment into their distilling systems that changed salt water into potable water and the sailors would drink it. The Australians discovered back in 2002 that the Agent Orange in the salt water was actually co-distilled – not removed. So, these folks were drinking an enhanced Agent Orange cocktail, as it were. This was confirmed in an Institute of Medicine report that came out just this past May. The Institute of Medicine also found that there was a plausible pathway both by wind drift and by river discharges for Agent Orange to get into the South China Sea. As a result, we have a higher cancer incidence (among those ship’s crew members theoretically exposed) than those troops who went ashore. The Australians Who have been paying Agent Orange-related benefits to their Blue Water Navy sailors for years, proved that in a study back in 2005” said Wells.
Wells said he ends his short presentation with an appeal to his target members of Congress to support the bill. One who was impressed by his organization’s argument was U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY. She is expected to introduce “The Agent Orange Equity Act of 2011” into the Senate when Congress reconvenes in September. Wells said the bill has drawn bipartisan support from several co sponsors. Hopefully both houses of Congress will vote to make this legislation into law and provide needed benefits to our fellow Veterans from the Vietnam War.
· According to www.govtrack.us Hr Bill 812 has 30 co-sponsors among its House members It should be noted that ANMAC VFW Post 6253 was the first Post in our District to request support from Congressman Rob Andrews for this legislation. We are happy to report that within 48 hours of our request Congressman Andrews reviewed the proposed Agent Orange Equity Act and contacted us with his pledge of support and signed on a co-sponsor of this bill. We thank Congressman Andrew for his continued and on-going support for area Veterans and their families.
· If you have any questions concerning benefits for possible Agent Orange exposure or other questions regarding VA benefits no matter what branch of the military you served in, please contact our Post Service Officer, Dennis Chance. Don’t wait! As a Veteran you earned these benefits.
Chaplin Ed’s Corner:
O God of mercy, peace and love, we remember before You in this moment our comrades of Post 6253 who have departed . Dante Nepi, Joseph Shafer, Mickey Chellemi.
We recall with gratitude and respect all that they stood for in this life. Help us to live in the companionship of their spirits. May we be kind to the friends and family they loved; devoted to the community in which they lived; and loyal to the causes which they served. Thus, in our life, may they live on, to our great comfort, to the betterment of Your creation, and to the furthering of Your most Holy Will.
Strengthen and comfort, O Lord, all who mourn for the loss of loves ones now departed this life. They have served this Nation both in war and peace, are now at rest. Be with those who mourn in their sorrow. Support them in their loneliness. Grant that they may know that nothing in life not even death can separate them from Your Love declared so eloquently in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen
Hall Available for News Year Eve
Contact Lou at 856-767-1494 for details.
Opportunity to Thank Our Veterans
The National World War II Museum in New Orleans has created a website at www.myveteransday.org/
that will allow visitors to provide a thank-you in a variety of ways to the men and women who have
worn a military uniform in service to their country. Visitors can send their thanks three ways by
(1) providing a written message, (2) uploading a photo, or (3) using a video message. Visitors
also are encouraged to spread the word about the website through Facebook, Twitter and other
social media. The goal of the initiative is to have 1 million visits to the site by Veterans
Day.
For complete guides to all veterans benefits, visit the Military.com Benefits Center.
http://www.military.com/veterans-report/opportunity-to-thank-our-veterans?ESRC=vr.nl
Don't Let Congress Cut 10 Key Programs To Cover 10 Years Of War
It’s unconscionable! Our leaders in Congress are actually considering cutting 10 critical benefits that affect our nation's service members, veterans and their families. VFW is calling it the “10 for 10” plan—cutting 10 benefits to pay for 10 years of war. Read more about it. We can’t let this happen! VFW needs every member to sign this important petition. We'll let Congress know we have the full force of the VFW membership behind us, and we won't let them level unjust funding cuts on our defenders and their families!