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October/November 2011
Escalating Demand Prompts New Restrictions On Claims Representation County Service Officers and Legionnaires alike were surprised to learn late last month that the Department Service Office, which assists veterans with compensation and pension claims pending before the Department of Veterans Affairs, has drastically altered its procedures for accepting new clients. John Hickey, Department Service Officer and Director of Rehabilitation, said the change was necessary because the demand for service was far exceeding the offices’ capacity to provide proper representation. “There are over 450,000
veterans in the State of Indiana, many of them needing claims representation,” he said. “Many, if not most, County Veterans Service Officers (CVSOs) recommend The American Legion for claims work due to our reputation for providing high quality representation and a willingness to work with CVSOs. Not only that, Hickey said, but “More veterans belong to The American Legion than any other veterans’ service organization in the state, and they prefer using their own organization’s claims representatives”.
“More veterans belong to The American Legion than any other veterans’ service organization in the state, and would prefer using their own organization’s claims representatives…” John Hickey, Department Service Officer An obvious solution would be to limit representation to Legion members only. There is a problem with that, he said. “National policy and possibly our congressional charter prevent us from representing only members. Current policy requires us to accept all claimants asking
for representation. Unfortunately, the Department does not have unlimited resources necessary for meeting the in representing a near unlimited number of clients.” The Department employs accredited Service Officers, and training can take up to 18 months. Currently, the office employs only one service
officer in addition to Hickey, and one trainee who will not be qualified to represent clients for nearly a year. The Department plans, however, to add another service officer in early December of this year. “Higher quality services and representation attract more clients. As more clients are received, less time can be applied to individual cases causing a decline in the quality of representation and our ability to communicate with individual veterans,” Hickey said. The absolute necessity to avoid providing sub-par rep-
National Commander, Transplant Recipient, Color Guard Champs Among Annual Meeting Highlights promise when he ended his military career. The Commander shared the platform with representatives of the Children’s Organ Transplant Association, the 2011 Indiana High School Oratorical Contest winner, the President of the Indiana American Legion Auxiliary, and the Commander of the Indiana Detachment of the Sons of The American Legion. Doug Leppert, Resource Development Manager for the Children’s Organ Transplant Association, and a new SAL member, introduced Timothy Isom, an organ transplant patient whose life-saving operation was facilitated by C.O.T.A. and for whom Bloomington
membership to additional groups of veterans. The total of 19 resolutions marks one of the largest collections of initiatives considered by the DEC in recent history. The resolution process has long been the method by which Posts of The American Legion exercise influence over the direction of the organization, and is the basis for Department input into national policy. Based on experience with the sponsors during the September Fall Family Festival, the DEC approved a recommendation that posts consider participation in the
American Legion Post 18 raised thousands of dollars, addressed the audience to describe how the transplant changed his life. C.O.T.A., a Bloomingtonbased not for profit organization, has long been a beneficiary of grants from the national Child Welfare Foundation. Led by supporters from Post 18, the organization earned an endorsement by DEC resolution in January, making it an official partner of the Indiana American Legion. Both President Billie Bubala and SAL Commander David Hanson introduced their officers for 2011-2012, and both gently jibed with Commander Mike Miller over the membership wager both entered into with the Legion Commander during the Fall Family Festival. Both are confident he will end up on the losing end, so in acknowledging the pair’s remarks, the Commander urged Legionnaires to spare no effort to help him win the wager. A highlight of the session was the return of the Second District Combined Color Guard to the ranks of winning Department color guards. Having won department honors during the 2011 State Convention, the unit went on to win Military Class honors at the National Convention Contests. A quirk in the rules allowed judges to award top honors to a unit that participated in only one of the two categories. The Second District unit was thus awarded only second place,
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DEC Approves Resolutions On Charters, Programs, Law The Department Executive Committee acted on 19 resolutions during its deliberations following the 2011 Fall Conference October 16 in Indianapolis. In addition to routine housekeeping resolutions and 11 endorsing resolutions of candidates for future office submitted by the Districts, the DEC approved a pair of resolutions that provides new opportunities for post activities, one resolution that changes the requirement for obtaining a post charter, one that clarifies employee rights, one that commits the Department to a legislative undertaking, and one that would extend eligibility for
New Post Offers New Hope For Incarcerated Veterans By Richard Brown 11th District Commander On September 24, officers from the 11th District braved a cold and rainy day in downtown Indianapolis to enter a local prison. They were promptly instructed to remove their coats, belts, shoes, and anything metallic from their pockets, and were patted down before walking barefoot through a metal detector. They then met Ms. Jacinda Cronau, a programming coordinator with the Indiana Department of Corrections who led them back outside to a courtyard ringed with old brick buildings. Walking single file through the rain, the
officers crossed the courtyard to the facility’s modest chapel where fifteen “residents” dressed in civilian clothes awaited their arrival. These fifteen residents of the Indianapolis Re-Entry Education Facility looked more at home in a local church rather than a prison chapel. The residents, all former members of the United States Armed Forces, had gathered together in the chapel to formally join The American Legion and charter the Department of Indiana’s newest American Legion post: INVETS American Legion Post 311. Eleventh District Commander Rich Brown led the delegation of officers from
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Hoosiers Backing Indiana Organization Assisting Transplant Patients Nationwide
2011 Fall Conference
Addressing nearly 400 Legion Family members attending the general session of The American Legion Joint Spring Conference October 8, National Commander Fang Wong encouraged Legionnaires to maintain a open attitude toward new generations of veterans and their unique style of communication and comradeship. Commander Wong, a naturalized citizen who came to the United States as a 12year-old, ultimately served 20 years in the United States Army. He described his introduction to the Legion as having come upon receipt of a Legion school medal. On that day, he said, he vowed to become one of those men, and he made good on his
resentation forced the office to set its new policy. The office has temporarily suspended accepting new clients, although Hickey said service officers will still accept new claims “from our current clients until our backlog of cases is worked down to a manageable level. We will then limit representation to claimants with fully developed claims – those with all the required documentation in place at the time of the claim. “We will still provide all veterans information about benefits and what is neces-
Timothy Isom, whose kidney transplant freed him from eight hours a day connected to a dialysis machine, described for Fall Conference attendees how the Children’s Organ Transplant Association and The American Legion made the life-saving procedure possible for him – and a three-year-old cousin.
The Children’s Organ Transplant Association, a Bloomington, IN-based not for profit organization dedicated to identifying and assisting young patients with critically needed organ transplants, has received significant support from the men and women of The American Legion, including the Department of Indiana. S i n c e 1 9 8 9 , L e g i o n naires have supported COTA through fundraising, grants and support for COTA families and projects. Earlier this year, COTA received a $46,500 grant from the Legion’s Child Welfare Foundation bringing the total contributions from The Legion family to approximately $500,000. This year’s grant, sponsored by The Sons of The American Legion, is enabling COTA to create materials that introduce families to COTA’s life-saving mission. With the Legion’s financial assistance, COTA continues to spread the word about how it helps families facing a life-saving transplant. In Indiana, Bloomington’s Burton Woolery Post 18 held a fundraising event in February for local teen Timothy Isom. With the efforts of many Post 18 Legionnaires,
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Stepping Up Hoosier Legionnaire Moves Into Leading Candidate Position In Race For National Commander; Individual Support Is The Key To Victory With the election of New York’s Fang Wong to the office of National Commander, Indiana’s endorsed candidate, James E. Koutz, moves into the role of Leading Candidate, a position that entails increased travel, more hospitality duties and increased preparation for leading the nation’s largest veterans’ organization. As Koutz has said many times, putting forth a candidate for National Commander is a task that requires the support and backing of the entire department. For some, it means involvement on committees, ‘meet and greet’ duty at a variety of official functions, and myriad related tasks designed to put not only the candidate’s best foot forward, but also the Department’s. For others, it means digging deep into the coffers to help cover the cost of running for this prestigious office. “It’s not just me running for national commander,” Koutz said. “This is a rare and important opportunity for the Department of Indiana to show that it supports the National Organization and has prepared its leaders for national service.” Koutz candidacy is the first for a Hoosier Legionnaire in more than three decades. Of course, the Department is prepared to provide the assistance and financial support such a campaign requires but, according to Koutz, “We are working very hard to make the most of this opportunity. And we are doing it as much as we can independently of Department Funds.” The Koutz Campaign has come up with a unique and lasting tribute to those who support the campaign. Contributors, both indi-
Becky Fancher, administrative assistant at Department Headquarters, is tasked with keeping the Wall of Honor up to date with the name of new donors. Here, she affixes the latest batch of names to the plaques. Room remains for many more, she says.
vidual and groups, are recognized by having their names engraved on The Wall of Honor, a permanent display dedicated “In Grateful Recognition of Members of The American Legion Family and Friends of The American Legion Who Have Generously Supported the Campaign for National Commander.” Nearly 250 engraved plates already have been mounted on the wall. A minimum contribution of $100 will earn additional supporters a place on the Wall of Honor. The display is prominently mounted in the foyer of the Department headquarters building, and has already won the admiration and keen interests of other Legionnaires aspiring to the office of National Commander.